Blue Pearls
by Spiritual Stone
Summary: The Sheikah called them the 'Mer'. The Hylians called them 'Humans'. Separated by history and lost in myths, the denizens of the two worlds haven't crossed for centuries. But in the right circumstances, with some dark magic... anything can happen. SHINK.
1. A Meeting

**Hello, long time no see. :)**

**Okay, I do have a reason for being so inactive. Two, in fact. One, uni, and two, MY FILES WERE CORRUPTED AND DELETED. God it SUCKED. Like, I had four chapters of this story and BANG, gone. Deppressing, honestly. But it's here, so yay?**

**So, yeah. The stories I based on fairytales were fun, so I decided to do another one! Based on the little mermaid, but with a Hylian twist and my own sadistic flavor. **

**Enjoy. ;3**

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><p><strong><em>Disasters<em>**

"Princess, I'm sure you're familiar with this story: 'When the Flood came, the people had a choice; join the water, be one with the blessed curse the Goddesses had brought forth, and enjoy life without the evils that haunted the ground. The ones that chose to step into the pure oceans are the mermen and mermaids. We, who loved the red sun and the red earth too much to leave it, bore the warmth of our blood in our eyes and became the Sheikah.'"

The lady chuckled, running her fingers down the pelt of her wolf-like dog, who was licking his wickedly sharp teeth as he laid his large head across her skirts. "Yes, I learnt it when I was younger than five, as every other child does."

Captain Linebeck winked. "Ah, but there's a second bit of the story that land-lovers omit."

He and the Princess glanced at her caretaker, who was retching over the side of the ship, and gave a soft chuckle before returning to the story. "To answer your question, we need to go further into the story of the mer. For abiding the will of the Goddesses, they were given power over the waves, the tides, the secrets of the Deep, and life far longer than ours, while we toil away on our land and crops. To live, it is necessary that we fish. But, to make sure we don't anger our immortal cousins, it is necessary that we give something back, to acknowledge and thank them for our share of their spoils. And that is why we let go of the largest fish, in honour of their age, and the smallest fish, in honour of young life."

"I personally think that story is a bunch of nautical nonsense," Impa, the Princess's caretaker seemed to materialise out of nowhere, seasickness gone. "The only merit there is to letting those two fish go is to somewhat ensure the population of the fish stays stable."

"Oh, land-lovers," Linebeck gave a lamenting sigh as he wagged his finger at the caretaker. "So little faith. Thanks to this little custom my ships have stayed safe since I founded my company."

"I put that on sound rigging and advanced navigating technology." Impa snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever floats your boat, my lady. How does it go, mates?"

The two that were responsible for handling the offerings shouted back amiably enough before returning to their task, which had suddenly turned a little eerie. "This can't be a good sign."

The creature with a large hook in one of its gills hissed, making them shudder. "One of the other ships must have caught this. You think we should kill it?"

"And get cursed? I don't think so."

"We'll be cursed anyway, even if we return it."

"Damn it." The slimmer of the two gripped the creature in his hands as he instructed the other to take the hook out. There was lots of squirming, swearing, and then along with the largest and smallest fish the thing was tossed back into the ocean, the hook that'd injured it quickly following suit. "Right. Not a word to the Captain?"

"Not a word to the Captain."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Link had been caught out. Again.

He glared resentfully at Aryl, Zelda's younger sister. Soon to be his sister soon, if the mad situation Link had found himself in continued…

He bowed to Princess Zelda, the most beautiful—and powerful—woman under the Hylian waves. Her moonlight hair wavered in the minute currents, beaded in rocks picked in volcano bays, pearls plucked from the midnight seas, and crowned in coral, alive and still glowing. She sat on the thrown carved from lime stone, her skin pale, with a hint of blue and gold that intensified as her smooth torso tapered into an elegant brocaded carp's tail, her icy eyes concerned.

"Link, I cannot understand. Why do you insist on shirking your duties?"

Link's gills flapped as he took a deep breath, the torso muscles rippling in exasperation. "My Lady, that wasn't my intention. I forget—often—that I have things to do outside the Old Coral Halls. I understand we've been engaged for a month-"

"Two and a half," Aryl muttered, making Link wince,

"I'm still processing it." His strong fins flicked, the lines of greenish fin bones waving in the currents. Born with the traits of a cave-fish he'd always been a bit of a hermit, but as far as Aryl was concerned, this was getting ridiculous.

"You should be grateful that you're no longer an outsider amongst us, Link. You should be more grateful to my sister."

"And I _am_." Link he snapped, barring sharp teeth, "I don't need to be reminded. I'm sorry I missed the concert," he added more gently to the Queen, "I'll be more careful."

He'd said that the time he'd started training to be her husband, when he kept being late to combat and etiquette lessons, the times he'd forgotten to attend court banquets, when he went missing for days and the Zora Knights had been looking for him. Zelda sighed and after the customary admonishing, dismissed him, letting him loosen his muscles in relief before swimming off.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Castleton, the Hylian City, was nestled deep in the Great Sea, right at the edge of a bend of a warm sea current, where some of the heated waters eddied and collected before being carried off once more. It helped also that the city had been built in the crater of a dormant volcano, still leaking heat from its surface. The warmth and the heavy chemicals, rolling and sticking to the rock surface, had over a thousand years given birth to glowing coral. The Hylians had flocked there, and shaped the coral with their tools and magic, and built a glowing City.

The Royal Court, where the 'monarch' was elected in each time, was at the deepest point, at the heart of the city, and as the city rose up the slopes of the crater it became shops, homes, trades' points, and then at the lip of the volcanic mountain, the black sea awaited.

As Link swam away to the cove where he was known to inhabit, his wavering hair moved against the current and a blue claw popped out, followed by the rest of its blue body, white beady eyes nestled in the shiny sapphire shell flashing with anger. "That girl is so _rude_!"

Link rolled his eyes as he gave his tail a good flick, shooting through a school of glistening fish, and past the cove that was meant to be his, diving straight into the dark sea. "It's Aryl."

The fairy crab nestled in Link's hair trembled with indignation. "She shouldn't be talking to you that way! It is rude, and disrespectful, and unfair, and stupid. Who does she think she is anyway? She's only Zelda's sister, it's not like those two were born into royalty, this is a democracy! Does she even realise you'll have more power than her when you marry Zelda?"

"_If_ I do."

It was Navi's turn to roll her eyes, adding a sigh as she said, "Are we going to that shipwreck again?"

Link's voice was determined. "I'm not finished with it."

Link looked back, making sure he wasn't being followed before sinking down into some dead corral, feeling round with his webbed fingers till he found his rope belt, dangling with seaweed bags full of tools. Tying that round his hips, he dug around again and pulled out a tool best left in the nightmares of the mer.

A harpoon.

Looping that into his belt, and careful that it didn't cut him while swimming, the merman slunk into the dark oceans, the cold of the deep seeping into him as he dove where no light reached.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

By Hylian law, the human world in general was forbidden. The savage peoples had many a year tormented the oceans and hunted the Hylian community, and so any connection, any contact, was strictly prohibited.

It was that kind of rule that had attracted Link to them.

The only way he could really learn, or try to understand them, was through the few shipwrecks and rubbish that'd rolled down to the ocean floor. He loved digging through them, picking at the wood, opening and closing doors to cabinets and wardrobes to find strange tools and objects, things crafted to surprising beauty, and sadly rotting away.

Some things lasted, like bottles. Link had four, all filled with useful substances. One was filled with florescence, a type of living plankton that flared like stardust when the water was disturbed. With bait, and an air bubble in the bottle, the creatures survived for days and the bubble made them light up; a safer if unreliable light-source.

He shook it as he entered his shipwreck, lighting the dark in a yellow glow as he eased his body through a circular hole in the wooden wall. He picked at the wood around it, and it was hard; then the smell hit him. His smooth face wrinkled in mild irritation. "A corpse."

"Yay!" Navi leapt off his head and swam vigorously towards the source of the rot. "Dinner!"

"Don't stray far," Link warned after her, sliding in a different direction, a smile playing at his lips. His needle-like teeth showed as the excitement mounted, because this one was new, and new ones always had more things intact, and not just the jewels and gold. He wanted another glass bottle, and there were a few small human statues (dulls, dolls, or something) that were beginning to look lonely. The textiles he had were beginning to show irreparable signs of wear, and he'd carved out that extra shelf for more space and now he had spare room…

A human bed lay crumpled, stabbed in the heart by a stray piece of wall. This one clearly belonged to a female human, judging by the carvings and the decorations of the furniture. Grinning, Link examined the cabinet and desk, rummaging through the draws and picking out the sodden papers and envelopes. There were quills and pens, wonderfully decorated, and some of the ink pots had survived. He saw gold, red, blue and green; happily making sure there weren't any cracks in the tiny flasks, he slipped them into an empty seaweed bag. He found something else, a metal stick with some dangling beads on its end. It looked like one of those paper knives (or were they letter knives?) but it was thinner, and had no sharp edge. He put that in another bag and kept searching.

He opened another draw, and was disappointed by the dead flowers that drifted out. Waving them away as they floated near his face he tapped and knocked at the desk, and satisfied that'd it last the trip home, he headed for the wardrobe.

One of the flowers that drifted outside flicked away. Link noticed.

He gripped his harpoon. He watched the other flowers drift outside the walls of the ship, and they also drifted against the current, as if following a passer-by.

Link surged out of the room, frantically searching for Navi. This area was meant to be out of the Zoras' jurisdiction, but there were always those overenthusiastic in doing their duty (probably because they were curious about humans as Link was) and Link wasn't prepared to be caught, not after years of scavenging.

And if it wasn't a Zora…

The body Navi was nibbling on was trapped under some debris, and bits and pieces of white flesh waved off bleached bones and broken skin. "Hey, Link, you were fairly qui-"

The room burst inwards in a hail of splinters and bony teeth. Glowing eyes flashed and Navi screamed and hid while Link desperately swung his harpoon, blocking the huge teeth of the Desbreko.

Its huge head snarled, clamping its heavy jaw onto the metal harpoon again and again and again in a mad determined urge to tear through it and then through Link. Its skeletal body snapped and wrenched this way and that to add to its efforts, but Link snarled right back and held on, spinning his own tail to ram the scavenging/predatory fish into a pile of wooden debris, freeing himself and the harpoon. "Navi!"

"Here!"

Link surged past and grabbed her before tearing out of the hole the Desbreko had made, frantically swimming, looking back, to the sides, anywhere. Desbrekos always travelled in pairs. Or in a…

A pack of skullfish ambushed the Hylian, hungrily scratching at his skin. Crying out Link spun and churned, protecting his face. They were small and their teeth weren't too sharp so they were only an irritation on their own but they could easily crush Navi and not to mention they were only a-

The water pressure told him where the Desbreko was coming from. Link swung round, ignoring the distracting maelstrom of teeth, smashing the harpoon into the side of Desbreko's helm-like head, sending it reeling. The Hylian stiffened his fins and sliced the skullfish through the water, catching a few of them against his sharp bones.

Link dived down, fighting the growing pressure, heading straight for the anchor of the ship. He whirled round it and waited for the Desbreko, gripping the harpoon tight as it torpedoed down to him, rage in its nightmarish eyes.

He swung again. But it learnt from before; it swerved and went for him again and Link gripped the chain and slipped through one of its large hoops and the Desbreko, lodged half its head in it and Link wrenched the harpoon through its spine and snapped it in half.

The Desbreko lost the glint in its eyes, and simply, silently, floated.

Link swum away, muscles aching from the ordeal. The skullfish left him alone, going straight for its dead mother/father thing, destined to wait for it to move, to lead them, till they themselves wasted away without food. "Navi, are you alright?"

She was hard as a rock in his hair. She was terrified.

"We'll get out of here. To Midna, kay?"

She nestled deeper into his hair, gripping so tight his scalp ached. Wincing, Link swam gently up to the forbidden surface, the weaving film that separated the sea from the sky dyed orange from the setting sun.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

As the sun set the ship was lined with lanterns and bunting and ribbons. A stage was quickly constructed, and instruments were tuned. The shipmen and the ladies in waiting and the aristocrats that'd followed their lady all dressed up, for once letting the lack of social protocol slide.

The dog barked happily, getting petted and ruffled as his owner got dressed, getting sly bits of snacks from virtually everyone who was setting up the banquet.

The clouds were dotting the sky in hues of purple and green as the orange sky burnt bright with the final rays of the sun. The captain and his navigator agreed that it would be a star spangled night, and were sure from the bottom of their hearts that this night would be a night to remember.

From the surface three sets of eyes watched the ship sale, two glaring, one amused.

"Is that the ship?"

"Indeed, Master."

"That's it, Master."

"The one that caught you?"

"No, Master, it was a smaller ship."

"No, but it hurt him."

"Very well. It'll have to be a big one."

"Oh yes, _oh yes_, Master."

A pale hand rose, pale as the moon, the dead, the foam of the sea. The clouds began to gather, and roil, into a very, very large ring.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Twilight was best for a Hylian to come to the surface, Link had learnt. The sun in the sky was too bright for the sensitive eyes of a Hylian, but sunrise and sunset was perfect, and often the humans didn't come walking along the rocks at this time. And it was mid-tide. Using his fins, Link slithered up the half rock-and-sand, half submerged-and-dry beach, gently depositing Navi next to a large, rather insignificantly coloured helmet-crab amongst the rock pools.

"Hey, Midna." Link tapped the crab's large shell, its whorl black and pitted grey. "Sorry to wake you."

The creature yawned and pulled itself out of its home, the flesh and blood body of the crab a huge contrast to its shell. An orange that ranged from topaz to the very colour that burnt the sky dyed her body, while shots of quartz and emerald flashed at her joints and dotted her impressively sharp claws. Her eyes were a dark blue, as blue and dark as the depths of the sea, and she swivelled them, properly waking up, eyeing both the mer and the terrified fairycrab.

"What did you do this time?" Midna grumbled, "Were you chased by a gyorg?"

Link bit his lower lip guiltily. "Worse. Desbreko and its pack."

"Oh my Din. You must have been pretty deep to have been attacked by those."

The Hylian resolutely shook his head. "We were half way down to their territory. Something brought them up… I think."

"Well," Midna huffed, gently nudging Navi into a pool, where a relaxing massage by some sea anemones awaited her, "This'll teach you, won't it? Stop messing with the humans. Or the Sheikah, as they call themselves. This is your last shipwreck isn't it, now that you're marrying Zelda?"

Link bit his lower lip harder and looked away.

Sighing, and making sure Navi was neatly underwater relaxing, Midna gestured at him with her claw. "So, what have you brought me this time?"

"…Just this," he muttered sheepishly, handing her the decorated knife-ish, sticklike thing. Midna held it in her claws effortlessly, examining the jewels and patterns embedded on it.

"It's probably a hair piece. Either that or a ridiculously decorated skewer."

"Hair piece?" Link asked, failing to keep the enthusiasm from his voice.

"As I said, women tie their hair up round their necks or on top of their head. If not with ropes, with this. They just sort of slip it into a knot and it holds. Either that or it's a skewer. They stick pieces of food on it and roast it over a fire."

Link understood that 'roast' meant 'cook', as the mer did sometimes by digging a hole into volcanic areas and burying food there for a few days. It was dangerous but a novelty for food to taste so different when it was the same, and Link did it often on his own, while the nobility of the mer hired professional 'cooks' to do it for them.

Nodding, Link put it back, not quite sure where in his secret cove he'd tuck this piece of treasure.

Horror tugged his heart. If he were to keep his promise, to himself as well as to Navi… this would be his last piece of loot. "I…"

Midna looked at Link, and then at Navi, and sighed. "Look, there's a ship, full of real humans, just about to land here. Have a look, it'll be your only, first, and last chance to see them. Go. But you didn't hear this from me."

Link looked, and saw the large ship on the horizon, and broke into a smile. "Thank you. _Thank you_."

He crawled back through the rocks and slipped into the water, the sky turning dark above him, mirroring the sea.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

The music was refreshingly unpretentious and fun and beautiful. The Lady danced with men and women and her dog as well, and now was playing on her lyre with the orchestra, feet tired from dancing, stomach aching from laughing. Tears ringed her eyes and she wiped them away quickly, still laughing as she played.

Link heard the music as he popped his head above the waves. His torso was bandaged with human cloth, absorbent enough to keep his gills wet even above water. He was glad for his strange traits as a climber, and using everything he had, not to mention the rope that was his belt, he crawled up the side of the large vessel until he found a nice niche to rest in. Ironically, the ship had a mermaid on its side, and Link lay on top of her to peer in a hole in the side of the ship, where the floor connected to the hand rest, or something. It was a barrier that stopped the humans from dropping into the sea, anyway.

The music, regrettably, was stopping. An elderly human was stepping forward, clearing her throat as she entered centre-stage. "Ladies, gentlemen, as we set our eyes upon the shores of our home… it must be said that we've had an interesting journey. A prosperous one, in terms of trade, a dangerous one, in terms of politics…"

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" a voice out of sight joked, making the audience laugh.

After an appreciative pause, the speech continued. "But it all's well, if it ends well, as many say. As you all know, the Prince of Holodrum had arranged a gift for our Princess, right before disaster hit us… so we would like to present this to you in turn, to celebrate your birthday!"

Something large and covered in a blanket was wheeled in by some hefty men, and with a large flourish it was unveiled. It was a life-sized marble statue of a woman and a man, the man more pretentiously bedecked in jewels than the woman, and looking quite smug with himself. But the effect of majesty was ruined with the graffiti and doodles that covered his whole stone body. The lady statue that looked up at him with an angelic smile was left clean, and looked quietly amused.

There was a whooping cheer and embarrassed laughter. A young girl stumbled onto the stage, as if gently pushed, and she looked exactly like the statue. So she was the Princess…

Her skin was tanned, lightly, like the sand soaked in sunlight. Her hair sparkled like it too, and her eyes were red, like coral, and anemones and happy octopi. Her dress reached the floor, and unlike the other dresses that bloated out like angry/scared puffer-fish, hers flowed over her body and tapered down, reflecting the light like wet scales. A good looking girl, for a human.

It took her a few minutes to stop laughing so hard, and once she gave an exaggerated bow, waving for silence, she got it as she cleared her throat and calmed herself down to speak. "Alright, I'll have you know, I had no idea that this existed. I don't know whose idea it was to vandalise his sorry image, but whoever did it, you're amazing. You have made this whole trip worth the stress, so thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you all, most of all, for celebrating this special day, and I thank you again for being so patient with me. I know most of you were expecting me to come back as a bride, but… oh you know. He was one pompous _git_. I mean look at the statue, how self-important can one person get?"

Link choked back a chuckle, imagining how Zelda and Aryl would react to this kind of royalty.

"Anyway…" her voice became less cheery, and her expression serious. "As you all know I turn eighteen, so… I will be losing my name." Solemnly she smiled, looking at each and every one of the humans on the ship. "I will be Sheik. I will bear from now full responsibility for Termina. And, visiting Holodrum, I want you to know that though they have their cities, their money, their technology, it just showed me how wonderful, peaceful, and beautiful Termina is. I am proud to have come from here, from our land. They can call us rustic and old fashioned for all I care. We are from Termina. And I have never been happier, never more honoured to serve you. I hope I don't lose my name in vain. I hope I can be good to you, and to our people. I hope you can travel to other lands and be proud of me, in turn. Impa?"

"My Lady."

The Princess knelt, and the old human scattered ashes over the girl's head, and drew, out of Link's sight, an eye with a tear dripping from it on her forehead. "May you be protected, and May you protect. May you be watched over, and you do the same."

"I swear to See kindly, to Watch carefully."

"May enemies quail at your Glare, and may your Eyes shine upon your friends."

"Till the Tears dry, Till the Sight fades, Till I Wake no more: I will Serve."

"Long live Sheik!"

"_Sheik_!"

The applause she got was deafening. The celebration started anew, and corks popped from bottles with foaming drink, food was brought out by uniformed men, and the music burst anew. Link watched, mesmerised, at the colour and light and activity of the human celebration, so similar, yet so very different from those of the Hylians. He saw them dance, moving their twig-like, awkward feet, enjoying themselves in such a limited space. They even had one of those creatures, a dog, was it? It looked large and savage with teeth like a gyorg, and even from here Link could smell the odd stench of its skin.

Apparently it smelt him too, as Link watched the dog come at him like a delighted predator, horror bound, its voice like bouts of thunder.

Link lunged to the side, grabbing the wooden side of the ship with all his might, hiding. The dog caused a huge racket above him, scrabbling through the hole he was too big to fit through, whining as his paw scratched in and out, desperate to get at the fish.

"Wolf! Wolf, what's wrong? Did you see another shark?" laughing, the Princess pulled the dog away from the edge and gave him a rigorous rubbing, making him huff in pleasure. Link breathed a sigh of relief as Sheik looked at the sky, frowning at the strange weather patterns as Link winced at his drying gills and decided he had better leave for home.

"Captain…?"

There was a blast of wind that came from nowhere, sending the whole ship tilting.

The men and women gave shouts of surprise, the ship bucking under them, slowly but surely. Link was tossed off, splashing painfully in the water even as his body relaxed, back in its natural habitat.

When he surfaced to see what the hell was going on, the clouds had covered the star-studded sky in an instant and the wind was beginning to moan. Sheik and the Captain agreed that it was best to call it a night, and whilst the aristocracy hurried to get out of the weather she and the crew helped to pack things up. Flash-storms weren't uncommon out at sea, though it was admittedly unusual so close to shore. But it didn't matter. It was procedure; harmless.

Then the lightning bolt hit the main mast, setting it ablaze.

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><p><strong>Um, just to let you know, the updating to this story is going to be jumpy, at best. Sorry. :( <strong>

**I'd appreciate reviews! XD**

**See you in next chapter, S.S.**


	2. Curiosity

**Good day/evening/whatever, all! So, yay! five reviews! The review replies will be at the bottom, so have a read before scootching down, or scootch down and then have a read, up to you! XD**

**I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, and that you enjoy this one too. Sorry if it seems a bit rushed, but without disney-esque music, the beginning's kinda slow. So yah. **

**Here you go! Chapter 2~!**

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><p><em><strong>Curiosity<strong>_

Link watched, amazed at the sudden surge of panic on-board, and realised that he was seeing fire. _Fire_. The embodiment of solid heat, a phenomenon hardly felt, much less witnessed by the sea-folk.

And Link was watching what it could do, first hand.

It _ate_. It ate at the wood like a hungry gyorg, unmerciful and terrible. It snapped the mast as easy as Link could snap a piece of dead corral, and died a hissing angry death as, still clinging to the mast in a brilliant display of red and gold, hit the waters.

So fire didn't like water…

Link's stomach churned with pity. After all, the humans couldn't jump overboard, not now, not when the sea was too deep for them and the shore was just too far. But they had little boats, so they should be fine, shouldn't they? Link nervously watched, knowing he should be leaving, but unable to tear himself away from their fear and panic and the calm command that Princess Sheik still wielded even in the chaos.

"Captain! Do we have enough life-boats?"

"We do but-"

"This isn't a natural storm, it _reeks_ of magic. There's a high chance that I'm targeted, so please, _get everybody off_ _now_. Impa, take care of the servants. Captain, I'll leave the aristocrats to you and your crew, they're more likely to listen if you shout."

"But Princess-"

"You know what we have in stock."

The realisation dawned on Linebeck's face. They had goods from Holodrum, like musical instruments, food, textiles, the usual things, but in addition, they had…

Gun powder to power the canons to ward off pirates. Fireworks to celebrate Sheik's return to Termina and to herald her coming of age. If they ignited…

"Captain _please_!"

"Aye, your Highness."

The ship's eruption of panic turned into a steady billowing of activity; the high born ladies and gentlemen were cajoled into entering the life-boats, the servants collected food items and blankets, piling them into bundles to be dumped with the people. Many a man and woman stumbled as the sea and sky rose and sunk to war with the other, the wind picking up, the lightning and thunder snapping and shrieking. The inexperienced cabin-boys teamed with the most experienced, as the middling men stuck together, ordering/helping each other to safety. Sheik barred her teeth and whistled a shrill note, and the flames quailed as if huddling together, pained by the agonising pitch.

Link winced too, his sensitive ears twitching.

Lightning struck again, smashing the hull of the ship, and splinters burst and whipped with the wind, and the screaming of the ladies (both high and low born) intensified and if it weren't for the shipmen and the manservants the escape would've frozen.

Fire scattered gleefully, riding the wind, crawling against Sheik's whistle and eating and eating and eating. Link looked for the rain, and it was there, in the distance, a wall of savage water curtaining towards the ship's direction too slowly.

Sweat beaded against Sheik's forehead as the heat intensified, her knees buckling in the effort to keep her upright on the rearing ship. "Is everybody off yet?"

"Nearly, your Highness! A few more!"

Sheik coughed mid-whistle, smoke choking her throat. A few stray raindrops batted her eyes, blurring her vision. The sky boomed, and the ship shuddered. "Hurry!"

The fire seemed to have found the crates full of fireworks and was leaping towards it, determined to open it up with its red teeth, lick it with its yellow tongue, blow it up black and gold before the rain came.

"Sheik!" It was Impa, shouting as she commandeered the final boat from its resting place, "Get on!"

The Princess gave one last harsh whistle before turning and sprinting, gathering her skirts in her hands as she rushed, tripping and rolling when a wave smashed into the side of the boat and sent everything collapsing into the floor and sea. She hit her head, the pain blooming and spreading on her temple; her attempts to stand were hindered by the accelerating rain, making the floor slippery.

The fire spread, rain or no, chasing her.

She told her arms to move, move _gods DAMN IT _but they slipped again, her head ramming against the floor once more, and she would've given up if it weren't for her big, angry, roaring dog who was dragging her towards the boat, nearly tearing her sleeve as he did it.

She stumbled over and rolled into safety, and they dropped into the churning sea, where the others were tying the boats together so they wouldn't be lost from the others.

Sheik forced herself up, looking at the boats, not noticing the pale figure that lurked under the waves, watching her. "Is everybody-"

The fireworks on deck exploded.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Link ducked down with a shout as the deck of the ship exploded, and even as he dived down in a serpentine motion to dodge the planks and bits of metal that dove in after him, he could see the water dyed colours of anemones and poisonous octopi and lion fish and tropical corral, flashing and wheeling and blinding him.

_Humans_! What in goddesses' names had they packed into the ship?

When the violent reel of colours subsided Link hesitated, his heart pumping frantically fast as he stared at the surface of the sea. He could just go. He could just leave them alone; they seemed fine, and Sheik was a competent leader…

But this storm wasn't natural. The sea was screaming in agony, tides controlled by outside forces, schools of fish terrified into deep territories that they never ventured into. Link surged up, fighting the forces that buffeted the ocean, spitting water like a human fountain as he breached, awe and horror painting his face as he saw the damage the ship had suffered.

It'd been ripped in half by the concussive power of the fireworks' and the gun powder igniting, setting a chain reaction all the way through the vessel. It looked like a sea urchin torn in half, guts oozing, spikes still twitching the last of life.

And one of the humans on the little boats, all strapped together, was shouting, and a dog was being held down as it barked and howled, both of them trying to leap into the violent ocean, made worse by the torrential rain and the screaming winds.

The woman kept wailing one name over and over in fits of agony.

Sheik.

Link's stomach tightened. There was no way that human could've survived, not if she'd been tossed into this sea, angry and scared, full of debris and sharp objects, and even she could grab onto a plank or something, fire still clung to those, and after all that, when the sea calmed the gyorgs would take her from below.

Link dove down and searched for her.

He swum, fighting the crazy currents, weaving round the falling bits of wood and sharp broken glass and porcelain, dodging the cloud of spices that spilled from metal-shod barrels, the ribbons of tattered and ruined textiles. He listened, desperately, searched for any hint, and finally there seemed to be a scream as some bubbles burst from below, and there she was, tangled in a rope ladder weighed by a metal clamp.

Link dove, grabbing the rope and ripping it off her with his teeth before rising up to the surface faster than was wise. He breached again, his nose and mouth aching from the constant switch of environments, and the rain in his eyes didn't help. Crushing her torso he forced her to vomit water, and once doing so, knowing that he could never approach those cluster of barely surviving boats without being seen, he set his course for shore, the rain battering down on his head.

The human's head lolled against his shoulder and Link shuddered. Navi was going to kill him.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

It was lucky it was summer; any other season and the frail human would've frozen to death half way to shore. It was high tide as he climbed up the beach for the second time that day, though this time onto the sand instead of the concealing rocks. The sea here was a lot calmer, but still restless, like a child snuggling against a parent, waking from a nightmare. Gasping Link dragged her up just that little bit more, so that the highest waves went up just to her knees. Any further and Link would be stuck, grappling fins or not.

Gods. The weight of his actions fully made themselves known, as he watched the human girl breathe on the sand, his hands still resting on her shoulder.

He, a Hylian, had helped a _human_.

And he was so _close_ to her. He watched her breathe, her chest rising and falling, like waves rolling over the beach. She really had no gills lining her torso, and her arms were smooth whichever way he dragged his webbed finger over her skin, no scales, no fins, like the inside of a shell, only softer. The one thing they had in common was their hair, and even then, his was paler with shades of green breaking in and out while hers was just… _gold_, like sunlight wavering in the shallows.

It was surprising how much a human reminded him of the sea…

"Oh. _My. GODDESSES_!"

Link flinched as he guiltily turned, spotting Navi and Midna in the rocks a few tail-flicks away, the blue spot looking livid even from so far away.

"I'm going to _kill you_ Link!" she shrieked, in a voice no human could hear, "I'm going to crawl in your mouth and stab through your stomach and claw all over your heart before eating your left lung!"

"Why the left?" Midna asked mildly.

"It was onomatopoeic. Don't interrupt my rant."

"Yes miss."

"_You_ stay _right there, _Link, if you know what's good for you!"

"Won't the human wake up soon?"

"Youwill_ come_ _over here_ right _now_, Link, if you know what's good for you!"

Sighing, Link nodded before putting his gaze back onto the human, at the fingernails, the web-less fingers, how the dress clung to the girl's legs, making it look like one limb, like a tail. Only if only…

His eyes travelled up this strangely attractive girl, noting the strange hairs that sprouted from her eyelids, framing her red eyes.

Red… eyes…?

Oh gods. Link froze, as the girl groggily shifted her head, blinking as she tried to focus on his face. She was looking at him. _She was looking at him_.

Link grabbed some sand and tossed it into her face.

She coughed and gave a mew of indignant confusion, and when Link looked backwards a particularly large wave was coming, and he dived head first into it, clawing his way over the sand, hiding under the bubbly surface till he was deep enough to flick his tail and zip through the water, away from those eyes.

Sheik squealed and shot upright, coughing and spluttering, water going up her nose and throat. Hacking and retching she stumbled weakly backwards, up the beach, confused and dizzy and so, so very tired.

Her shaking arms wouldn't support her weight, even if she was only sitting. Body thudding back against the sand she saw the sky, blushing for the dawn. Bordering the pink and yellow was the light blue of the day, blue as the eyes of the man that'd saved her.

She closed her eyes and fell unconscious once more.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

"Were you seen?" Navi immediately asked when Link emerged amongst the rocks to take her home.

"No. I don't think so."

"What do you mean you _think_?" the fairycrab demanded, pointing a claw at him, "She moved and you dove away in a _panic_!"

"Her eyes were closed," Link lied again, firmly, "Even if she saw me the wave would've confused her. She'd probably forget, anyhow. Look at her."

They peered over the rocks, and she was lying in the morning sunlight, unconscious.

"Stop it."

Link turned back at Navi, looking confused. "What?"

"You were looking at her strange!"

"I was not."

"_Yes you were_."

"Ugh." Rolling his eyes Link scooped her up and tucked her into the long trail of hair at the nape of his neck, making her shut up. "Thanks Midna."

"No problem. I love seeing you get flipped by someone as tiny as she is."

Scowling, Link splashed water at her, making her squeal and giggle, and smiling to himself he swum back to Castleton.

Somehow, in his mind, Sheik's eyes came with him.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

A lot of people (including Link himself) wondered why Zelda had chosen, of all the people under the sea, _Link_ to marry her. She did have her reasons, and good ones at that. He worked in the Coral Halls, the cavernous forest of old coral the Hylians had grown over the years, shaping them into unbreakable words, telling History in the form of living bones. Link knew them like the back of his hand. Zelda had wanted a man of high learning, and Link fit that mould; though, admittedly, some men had done better than him at the Academy, he had been the best at logic and problem solving (two disciplines Zelda most admired). Not only that, he had potential to be a great warrior; his fins were tough enough to be used as weapons, and he had good reflexes and a strong body from swimming excessive distances, most probably from spending so much time in the Coral Halls. With enough time, and the right training, Link would have made an exceptional leader.

But Zelda hadn't accounted for his personality.

He was easily distracted. When he was being taught anything that didn't involve physical activity his mind wandered, and he was stubborn when it came to the traditions. Anything he didn't like, or found odd, or questionable in his mind, he nibbled and gnawed on the subject till his 'tutors' went off in frustration.

Zelda found that almost endearing, that way of wanting to know and understand and refute what was accepted as common-sense, but…

But there was the people to think about and her position as future-Queen, at least of this generation. Only a few Hylians outright _opposed_ the union (Aryl being one of them) but that in itself was great; Hylians were a docile people, not prone to any confrontation, or even emotion, in some individuals.

So Link, being _Link_, was a problem…

"Perhaps I should consider another to be my candidate…"

Aryl heard her and twitched her nose. "I think that would be better. Link is a bore and a sordid hermit, and I don't like him at all."

Zelda rested her chin against the palm of her hand as she sat forward on her thrown, thinking. Her cold eyes sparkled like gems; her pale, mother-of-pearl tail swished in the current. Some advisers had left, having talked to Zelda about exports of fish-scale necklaces and knives made of shell-blades' teeth, imports of gyorg skins and kelp textiles. More would come to discuss the Night again.

Rubbing her temples, Zelda gave an irritable sigh. "I'm not concerned with your personal opinion of him, Aryl, I'm concerned with him being a good leader or not."

"What about a good husband?" Aryl retorted haughtily, "What about a good _companion_? If you really are going to choose him to stick by you, why must you choose such a _dull_ man? You're going to spend the rest of your life with him. Why can't you choose what _you_ want, and not what the people need?"

"Can't I do both?" Zelda pointed out, a wan smile playing at her delicate lips.

"I'm sure you can," Aryl rolled her eyes, flicking hair decorated with pink pearls, pouting sadly at herself. "…Zelda?"

"Yes?"

"If I found something about him, something so dreadful and terrible that he would never be redeemed within the Hylian community, you'd cancel the marriage with him wouldn't you?"

Zelda eyed her sister warily. "Do you think he has some dark secret that he keeps from everyone?"

"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't." Aryl swam from her perch and smiled, languidly, as she cocked her head to the side. "But if I'm to tolerate that fish for the rest of my life as my brother, I'd like to learn about him more."

Zelda sighed, closing her eyes. "I won't be able to stop you, will I?"

"No, I doubt it."

"Go; go, before I become too worried."

Laughing Aryl darted away, dodging the delegates that'd come to express worries about the growing population and the lack of growth of glowing coral in the volcano.

All she really needed was her eye-piece, and that she always had with her. It was a new toy that the craftsmen had created and she could see great distances away with it; she'd been looking for an opportunity to use it.

First she swam to the living quarters of the city, knowing vaguely where Link lived. It was easy to spot once she was nearby because it was so rundown and unattended to. The corral hadn't been brushed, and grew uncontrolled round the entrance. There was no stingray or carpet-shark to clean his walls and his bed of sea-moss was smooth, untouched. Crossly she looked for him at the Corral Halls, but today wasn't his shift, so he wasn't there either.

Puzzled, now, Aryl went back to his home, and found a blue crab scuttling on the streets, and recognised it as Navi, Link's companion. Aryl despaired at how she would have to follow such a slow, scurrying creature, but Navi swapped herself some seahorses for a few obsidian shards from a pets' trader, and dragged herself through the ocean with high speed, using bait to guide them where she wanted to go.

Aryl, sighing with relief, languidly followed her.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Where Link spent most of his time was on the outskirts of various monsters' nests. It was a perfect location in terms of privacy, even if it _was_ a high risk in terms of physical safety. But Link had his harpoon, and after many years the creatures had learnt to recognise him, and ignore him.

Besides that, no-one was brave enough to come near a once highly volcanic area, with mud cones that once billowed hot water and ash and dust looming like blunt spears, pointed at the surface. Nobody knew their insides were hollow, and Link had used that to his advantage. Nobody wanted to be close to the breeding grounds of the spikes, which was an angrier metallic cousin of urchins, or the bombfish that fed on them, or the live shell-blades that trapped the bombfish in turn. On top of that, Link's secret grotto was an old cave that once inhabited a Degu Toad, and the skeleton of it still lay there, used as shelving for Link's collection. It had died of starvation inside the cave itself (it probably wondered in when it was small enough but couldn't leave once it grew too big), and when Link had first found the cave many skullfish had been feeding off its rotting corpse.

Of course he kept that a secret from Navi…

He lay on his back on the warm sand, smiling at the spiralling shelves full of human artefacts; sorted and resorted so many times he knew where everything was, even when he had his eyes closed. He kept looking at his new pieces, the jars of ink dangling on a chandelier he'd attached to a mace/ball-and-chain at the top, so it caught the light from the hole into the cone and reflected muted rainbows on the glass… the hair piece was sticking out of a broken jar placed between dolls and figurines of the world above, with ferks (forks? Furks? He forgets how they're pronounced) and skewers and pens, just as beautifully decorated… and his prize, sitting in the middle of the sand, broken but pieced together with kelp and rope and nets…

For the first time, Link almost felt his collection was complete. He just… there were a few spaces here and there, which he _could_ fill if he re-sorted everything a little wider, but still, still…

He wanted _more_.

A small stone plopped against his head, and when Link looked up it was Navi, floating down, having jumped in from the cone's chimney hole. "I knew you'd be here…"

"Hi Navi." Then he frowned. "Why through there?"

"The seahorses I bought refused to come down, so I had to send them up and I let them go there and I basically dropped for ages. Anyway, are you saying goodbye or… oh, my, _Goddesses_."

Link smiled proudly, gesturing at the statue with his head. "Impressive, huh?"

It was Sheik's statue from a few nights before. The broken thirds with their planes of snapped marble had worked like puzzle pieces, slotting in perfectly to where they belonged, so Sheik looked like she was wearing a green veil of kelp, and a dress decorated by nets, hiding the cracks. The man beside her was crumbled to bits, having taken most of the damage from the storm.

"I can't believe you _did this_! I thought that shipwreck was the last one!"

Link shrugged before staring at the statue once more. "We got interrupted."

"We got _attacked_ by a _desbreko and its pack_, that doesn't count as an interruption! It's a habitual hazard! It shouldn't _count_!"

Link stuck his tongue out at her. "No rules saying that. Besides," he added with a tired sigh, "This one's really the last."

He drifted up, fiddling with this and that, slowly circling his way up his collection. The textiles of the human world fluttered under the things he'd laid on top, to hold them and protect them from the tide. Weapons rusted like time sped up, thinning till there was only coppery dust. Cups, saucers, tankards and tools were draped in beads and jewels, clothes and shoes were ordered in metal-shot barrels, and weighed down by shields and helms. The mirrors that'd scared him silly amused him now, as he saw himself flashing through the reflected plane. He wondered even as he drifted from shelf to shelf, what other marvels awaited him in those broken troves of treasure…

"But you want more, don't you."

Link sighed again, and nodded.

"But you're marrying Zelda."

This time he smirked. "She might not want me soon."

Navi rolled her eyes and swum up to his shoulder. "Once she looks at this, she'll definitely won't. But please don't go there, Link, you'll be exiled."

"I know." He circled back to Sheik's statue, which was a little too beautiful for Link's taste. But in a few days' time the tide will carve her face, make it smoother, less defined, and in that imperfection the statue would be a perfect double to Sheik. "What did Midna say?"

Navi grumbled to herself a little before saying, "The human you saved is fine; her dog found her and then she got taken away."

Ah. That thing that she kept with her. What had she called it? Wolf? Link stared at the statue's face, thinking that that would trigger the memory properly, but all that stared back at him was an amused smile, and somehow that made him smile back. "She was beautiful."

"She's _human_."

He shrugged. "Fact still stands."

"Well don't fall for her."

He grinned and winked jokingly. "Oh but I have."

There was a barely audible gasp followed by some bells getting knocked over. Link and Navi looked up in alarm but all they saw was the shadow of a Hylian tail escaping his grotto, the sun blocking out all other details.

"Oh my goddess."

Link nearly stopped breathing. His heart froze over with dread.

"Oh Nayru, Nayru, Nayru Din and _Furore_, I, I, I, must've been followed, but, b-but why would they _how could they_ oh dear ladies above Link I'm so sorry I-I'm so, so very sorry I should've paid more attention especially now that people actually _care _about-"

"Hush, hush, it's fine," he patted her shell gently, trying to smile, to calm his rising heartbeat, "It was bound to happen."

"But, but if they tell the Zoras, they'll tell Zelda and she'll exile you or worse, much less marry you, Link, oh gods Link…"

"It's fine. Really." He flinched when the bells finally hit the sand, resonating a sad note.

This was bad. This was _really_ bad.

"The Zoras mightn't believe them." He pointed out optimistically. "This collection _is_ insane."

But this place needed hiding, and it needed it _now_. Link darted to his pile of shields, looking for the oldest one, covered in barnacles and weeds and moss, heart racing. He rubbed dirt into it as well, and once it looked appropriately like the ground Link went up top, got out of his grotto and lodged the shield in place, hiding the entrance. It looked like any of the other cones, from the outside. And getting help would take time…

He was about to seal the entrance that he usually used as well but armed Hylians with the Zora uniform grabbed him, ambushing him so fast all he could do was shout in panic.

Then he saw Aryl, glaring at him with complete and utter hatred. His heart sunk.

* * *

><p><strong>Please note that Aryl is not a 'bad-guy'. She's just nosy and easily angered. Why is she not Link's sister, you ask? Cuz Zelda needs siblings. And in Windwaker she spends most of her time on ZeldaTetra's ship (was that a spoiler?) anyway, so she might as well be her sister, not Link's. And I like Link as an only child. :P**

**Anyway, review replies!**

_**Darkwolflink1: **_**Here you go. XD Thank you for putting in the first review, it was really nice seeing a familiar name to the list! And thanks for thinking this is different. XD And don't worry, I've got a few plot twists brewing in my head (though time will tell if they're good ones...).**

_**Code Geass Viceroy ****Destiny: **_**Why thank you! So many greats that I don't deserve, lol! Thank**** you very much. Yes, the updates will be 'jumpy' (I have exams in uni exams six weeks so I should probably concetrate on studying instead...) so I hope you forgive me for that. And thanks for liking all my stories, though I gotta say I kinda cheated with 'Rain'. It's based on Jane Austen's 'Persuasion'; I wrote the fan-fic to make it easier for me to study the damn novel. XD Wow, this was a really long review reply. Anyway, here's the update, don't expect the next one too soon, and enjoy the show!**

_**arrowriver: **_**Yes. Navi is a fairycrab! XD Blame Sebastion ****for her predicament, lol. I was thinking of turning her into a fish, but then I realised she couldn't follow Link around on the surface, so, CRAB. BWAHAHAHAAAA! I hope you liked this chapter!**

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**Hi! Nice to see you again! I laughed outloud when I read the part about you watching the little mermaid before seeing the update. Coincidences are crazy, huh? Yeah, Navi feeding the corpse. XD This fic is definitely going to be darker than the disney movie, I assure you. It is gonna be so much fun putting Link and Sheik through hell again! And you're right, the original is utterly depressing. No way am I gonna finish my fic like that. :S**

_**Me: **_**Hi Me! I always love saying that. Anyway, it's good to see you in the review list as well, so I hope you stick around! This mermaid thing is kinda new to me, so I hope it works out too. And I have no idea what corrupted my file. I think it was just because the usb stick was old, I had it for like two-three years when it crashed. Just keep backing it up on like three things is probably the safe optionl. I hope it doesn't happen to you!**

**That's all for now, folks! Please review, it'd really make my day!**


	3. Deals

**Hey y'all! I have got to say this: WOW. The number of reviews, like, DOUBLED in chapter 2, it was amazing! And so many people from my old fics! Thanks for your continued support, guys, it's truly an honour. Sorry for the late update...**

**Oh, I just want to thank the person who pointed out that they were kinda worried how the plot seems to stick REALLY REALLY closely to the Disney Movie. I agree. I'm sorry. In my defence, I changed my style of writing half-way through this chapter to avoid it, AND it goes totally off-course and into my world (cue evil EVIL laugh) of fiction, AFTER this chapter. **

**So, yeah. I beg your patience for my non-originality for now; the plot will get less predicatable once we hit chapter 4.**

**Anyway, review replies at the end, so, ENJOY! XD**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Deals<strong>_

They killed the like-like that he'd put at the entrance to his hideout, and destroyed the mechanic entrance he'd painstakingly made. Link was shoved back into his grotto, now dark and forbidding, till a third Zora dislodged the shield from the hole above, letting the sunlight stream in. They confiscated his harpoon and threw it deep into the other side of the cave, where he couldn't reach it.

Link cried out as they stabbed the forked ends of their spears against his tail, shoving him to the ground to do the same to his arms, pinning him down. The disgust in the Hylians' eyes was clear as they took in the magnitude of his treasures. Link's heartbeat thrummed, in fear and desperation. Navi hid in his hair, terrified and desperate not to be seen.

Aryl glared down at him, wreathed in cold, angry light. "What _is_ this, Link?"

He took a deep breath of water before gritting out, "A collection."

"Of human artefacts. How long have you been collecting this… this _trash_? Weeks? Months?"

Link said nothing.

"…You've been doing this for _years, _haven't you. _Am I right_?"

Stubbornly, Link kept his mouth shut. Aryl gestured at a Zora and he gave Link a sharp blow to the torso. He didn't cry out, but bit his lower lip till it bled. The cloud of red whirled round his mouth and nose as he licked his wound, glaring right back at Aryl.

"That hurt."

"Princess," one of the Zoras warned, "His blood will attract the bombfish. We should escort him back to Castleton immediately."

Link grinned at them for those words and shook his head, sending more blood floating round his face. It was obvious that what he'd done was deliberate.

Aryl determinedly shook her head. "We need a confession out of him _now_. This won't take long."

"Speaking of…" Link gestured with his head at the Zora that'd pinned him down. "How'd you get here so fast?"

"We were looking for pearl smugglers when Lady Aryl found us."

The captured merman sighed, rolling his eyes. "Typical."

"Quiet." Aryl hissed, her gaze icy as the glaciers of the south, "Did you or did you not collect these items?"

Link shrugged and was beaten for his efforts.

"Did you or did you not make contact with the human world? Answer me."

He shook his head, biting down on his lip, scattering blood into the sands.

"Men, destroy the contents of that shelf."

_Then_ he looked up, horror in his eyes, as the Zoras nodded and proceeded to his shelf full of figurines, of houses and fruits and little dancing creatures. "No!"

They swung their pikes, and the delicate objects screamed and shattered and fell in sharp crumpled bits of clay, porcelain and glass. Link's gills flapped and his body shuddered in distress. "Gods please don't…"

"Did you or did you not collect these items?"

Link struggled, but was pinned down even further at his wrists and elbows, and his torso by anchored nets. Still thrashing in his bonds he yelled, "Don't touch them! Leave them!"

"Answer me!"

"Yes, yes they're mine!" Lying limp in the sand, he took a deep breath and thrashed again. Sand was in his gills. It was getting harder to breathe. "Please… don't…"

"Did you or did you not have contact with the human world?"

"No… these all came from shipwrecks…"

"And this statue?"

"The same…"

"Then what was that _human girl you saved_?"

Navi, in his hair, gasped. Link banged his forehead against the sand, gritting his teeth. Any minute now, any second now…

"Lady Aryl! The bombfish, there's a whole swarm of them coming."

"Destroy this statue. The rest we need as evidence for this one's trial. Or better yet…" Aryl's hands and fins glowed bright green, and shockwaves burst from her.

The Zoras ducked as chaos reigned, mirrors shattering, chains snapping, glass exploding, pens and quills splintering, tankards and barrels and jars erupting, textiles tearing, metal cracking and warping out of shape, and as his years of exploring and finding and excitement were torn asunder, wrecked beyond recognition, all Link could do was close his eyes and scream in hopes of drowning out the sound of destruction.

There was a final _BOOM_ and the sound of rock hitting rock, rock hitting shattered pieces of his treasures, and there was a thud right next to him, of rock hitting sand, and when Link dared to look it was Sheik's head split in two, her left eye obliterated off her face.

"Let the bombfish have him as punishment. If he dares to come back, perhaps he'll be spared. Zelda, after all, is too merciful."

They left him there, still pinned to the ground. Link didn't bother struggling; his whole body hurt from his thrashing, and his torso ached from the blows. Pain like heat, like those flames eating the ship pulsed in his gills and his head beat with his blood, booming with agony and loss.

"Link, Link!" Navi was busily cutting the nets on his body, freeing him little by little. He could feel her frantically scuttling across his skin, snipping and snipping, "They might get distracted by the spike nests and the dead like-like but once those things get to you…!"

"Can't, breathe…"

"_Brutes! _Brutes, the lot of them! Oh, Link, I hope you don't hate me for doing this, but…" she leapt from the net, dug herself into the sand and when Link thought she'd left him (she'd left him _now_? When he needed her _most_?) there was a sharp agonizing blaze of pain _inside_ one of his gills and Link _screamed, _and his recoil from the pain snapped the bonds of his right arm and his tail, which was all he needed.

"Argh _gods_ be _damned_ to the dark!"

"Sorry, Link," was Navi's miserable, sand-muffled apology.

"No, it's fine. Thanks." His arm ached, so did his tail, but he threw the net off and freed his other arm, knowing full well that by the end of the tide he would be a riddle of bruises and cuts. "Stay there."

"Hey, you didn't even have to tell me the first time."

Link didn't hear her. He was already racing to his harpoon, trying to ignore the mess his haven had become, using the pain and anger to charge at the attacking bombfish.

Bombfish lived in a cluster only when they were still minnows, not having developed their explosive sacs. But they were on the verge of separating; their immature blue-green skin around their explosive organ was already bordering the bright bruise-red of adulthood.

They met outside his trove in a haze of violence. Link swung; the first contact between metal and fish ended in the creature exploding, sending poisonous blood spewing, juddering the harpoon and numbing his hands. Gritting his teeth and closing his gills and nostrils Link swam through the mist and swung behind him, catching two more of the bombfish. They squawked and dodged the resulting glob of poison, and Link kept swimming away, faster and faster, even as his scales ached and melted at the touch of the bombfish-blood.

Then he dived down so fast the water resisted him and the water-pressure he generated warned the spikes, and they flashed a metallic white, sticking their organic spears in every direction.

Link's harpoon stabbed through one of them anyway, and still holding the spike on the harpoon the Hylian surged upwards, and used the more long-range, deadly mace-like weapon against the bombfish.

In the end, only fading clouds of red were left, and Link, with cuts and bruises and wrinkled scales, aching inside and out.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Link glided back into his trove, sinking into the sand, eyes firmly closed against the carnage. The sun was positioned just right, gleaming over the hole in the roof, so he lay in the warm sunlight as the cool water soothed his pains and Navi nervously dug herself out of the ground.

"Link, are you alright?"

He nodded.

"You should get that healed, that cut, I mean. On your lip. And where I hurt you. Sorry."

Grunting he touched his mouth with fingers that glowed blue, sealing the broken flesh. He did the same with his sensitive sides, wincing, but it was a blissful relief once he got it over with. He batted at the blood that clouded the water and sighed, feeling his heart beat against his abdomen, the water slowly flowing in and out of his gills.

"Did you…?"

He nodded again without opening his eyes.

"Oh, Link…"

He chuckled mirthlessly, hands curling into fists. Hylians didn't kill. When in danger they flashed lights into the predators' eyes so fast it confused them and screamed to scare them away. Weapons were for apprehension, and _apprehension only_. Killing Desbrekos… that counted as self-defence but what he'd done to the bombfish and the spike… it was unnatural, obscene. The fact that Link had in his possession a harpoon, a weapon of murder, _just that _was enough to brand him an outsider even without the discovery of his collection, but this…

Oh gods… his collection…

He finally looked up at the debris, and sighing, lifted himself up from the sand and floated up, looking for things that'd escaped the carnage.

The tapestries had stood no chance; their threads floated in front of his face and got caught in his already agonized gills. The glass figurines had less of a chance, destroyed first by the Zoras, shattered in piles of sharp edges and broken smiles. The mirror was cracked like a fragmented world, and in its demented reflection Link saw his own damaged face. He had to look away for fear of losing his mind.

Some metallic objects had survived, though warped out of shape. Gold plates looked more like clams forced open, forks and knives like snapped bones. Neatly cut jewels had popped out of their brackets like seedlings, necklaces and bracelets torn, chains still gleaming. The human weapons (he wondered if Aryl had recognised them as such…) were wrecked beyond quick recognition, and the delicate carvings he'd loved so much on wooden things, cabinets, drawers, boxes and tools and _everything_… destroyed.

"This isn't _fair_," Link strangled out, gritting his teeth, "I wasn't hurting anybody. Not one person. _Not one_!"

Navi sunk into the sand as she said, "I know, I know…"

"This is _stupid_! There was real _art_ here, delicate and beautiful and it… it…"

There was a hiss from where the sunlight didn't reach, and Link barred his needle-like teeth at the sound, and saw two pairs of eyes glinting with mockery.

"Poor cavefish, is that not, Knuckle?"

"It seems so, indeed, Ankle."

They slithered forward, one head red, one head blue, a fresh wound scabbing and healing on the latter's snout, angry and painful against the shattered azure scales. The sinuous bodies met and became one, cross-hatched in blue and red in such a way that the tail looked purple.

"What is a gods damned _Gleeok _like _you_ doing here?" he spat, brandishing his harpoon, sick of being invaded, physically and emotionally.

"Poor violent cavefish," giggled the red head,

"Poor lonely cavefish," chuckled the blue, "No friends, no family, no loved ones."

The red one's eyes flashed yellow as they circled the mer. "No choices, no options, no escape. Except one. Right Ankle?"

"Oh yes, Knuckle. One choice. One option. One escape."

"Will you just _shut up_ before I stab you?" Link spat, taking a menacing flicker at the creature.

The body recoiled, but the heads still calmly wavered at him, hypnotising and sly.

"So savage, is he not?" Ankle hissed.

"So human, yes he is." Knuckle agreed.

"_What_?" Navi demanded, indignant. Ignoring her they snapped towards the shell-shocked Link, having received the greatest insult a Hylian could ever endure, and yet, somehow not as offended as he should be…

"There is a human you love," Blue Ankle teased,

"A human you covet," Red Knuckle whispered.

"Your people hate you. You place is gone. So take a chance. Take a choice. Come with us. Meet our master." They spoke each sentence in turn, circling ever closer, grinning and smirking until they coiled in front of him, around each other, and each eyes stared into one of his own, and they hissed as one:

"Become human."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Sheik sighed, pulling at her skirt as the sand weighed it down at the hems. Her dog Wolf barked and heaved himself through the waves, happily chasing the stick she'd thrown unceremoniously into the ocean.

It was sad and pathetic that she had to sneak out of her own home just to enjoy a walk on the beach. Ever since that storm and her being washed onto the shore, everyone was determined to protect her, one way or another. And it was suffocating.

_The pressure of the surroundings was almost suffocating as he followed the Gleeok into the Black, where a skeleton of a whale mournfully lay there, stuck. Unease made him falter, but stubbornness and a sense of pride shoved him forward._

Wolf brought the stick back, and Sheik threw it with a satisfyingly angry grunt.

Gods it was _beautiful_ to simply _grunt_. She'd been prepared for the workload to escalate once she'd dropped her name, but really? This, was, _ridiculous_. After all as much as she hated to admit it… she was still a child.

_The mer he faced was so old Link might as well have been a child; body so white it seemed to glow, the mouth black as ink, teeth chipped, and worst of all, he had no irises or whites in his eyes. Just a dark, dark red like dried blood, an eerie mixture of Hylian and Sheikah eyes. _

She winced at the brightening dawn before quietly smiling to herself. The sky, turning blue. Blue, blue, blue. That colour chased her everywhere. She snorted at herself however. After all, blue eyes were products of dreams; it was fantastical that something like that would happen…

She cried out in surprise when Wolf lunged her, spraying her skirts with wet sand and the smell of kelp (not to mention wet dog), his baying more urgent instead of playful. Rolling her eyes Sheik followed him muttering, yes, yes, I'm coming, what have you found this time, a spine? They turned the rocks and she gasped.

A man. Dead.

"Oh dear gods above…"

_When he spoke it was like a weak current rippling through some dead corral. "Turning Human can be done, but as you know… it's something the gods don't enjoy. Thus my services require a price." _

"_I figured that." Link spat, curling his hands into fits. _

_Vaati smirked. "You poor unfortunate soul…"_

He looked an utter mess. His shirt and trousers looked centuries old, and his arms and legs were covered in abrasions and bruises, and blood still seeped from his shirt. And Wolf was _licking_ his face. "Wolf! Oh gods Wolf don't that's-"

She screamed when the man convulsed and vomited water and made Wolf yelp in surprise. Sheik grabbed Wolf's collar and pulled, gritting her teeth and forcing him back till she found a large enough piece of driftwood and tied him to it. "_Stay_!"

"_Why are you even _thinking_ of turning human?" Navi demanded, hysterical. "They're savage and disgusting and they are evil, evil people! So what if they can make beautiful things, all that says to me is that they're self-absorbed! Why can't we just leave and swim away to another school? We can-"_

"_I'll still be an outsider, Navi."_

"_Then why in gods' name do you want to be an outsider as a _human_?"_

"_I'm dead, either way. I might as well do something crazy before I go."_

Wolf whined disappointedly but huffed at the thought of a second chance at licking the stranger's face. Sheik scowled at him before hurrying back to the man, who was still coughing and retching. "Gods, oh gods…"

"Sir…?"

The man flinched away at her touch, hands fumbling in the sand, trying to escape. "Who… who's there?"

His voice sounded like sandpaper against volcanic rocks. Sheik quickly untied the water-gourd from her belt and handed it to him. "My name is Sheik, sir, and please, this is some water. It sounds like you need it."

"N-no, not now not-" he retched and coughed, curling up into a ball as the force of his hacking made his body convulse.

_In a blaze of light pain erupted in his tail, so violent that it felt like it was being split in two, and as Navi watched him scream she _saw_ it split, the bones of his fin breaking and bulging and building into a shape that would never let him swim as fast as he prided himself, never let him dive and glide. Then the gills on his torso melted and his scream was cut short, and bubbles burst from his mouth as his prize was taken from him, in hands of dust and sand and bones, glowing like twin green stars._

_Navi froze in terror as she saw the sea _reject_ a mer._

"Alright, but please, lie down. Calm down, and… by the gods, what happened to you?"

He rolled onto his back, half coughing, half laughing, draping his eyes with his arm. His thick blonde hair was filled with sand and seaweed and… fish-scales? "D-drowned."

"I figured _that_," she couldn't help but mutter sarcastically, "Were you attacked by pirates? Were you hit by a storm? How long were you at sea?"

He shook his head. "No pirates. But a storm, in a way. And got out of the water fairly quickly, I think. Else I'd be dead."

_He grabbed on because Navi was screaming at him to, and the dolphin tried to buck him off because his grip was blatantly painful but he determinedly didn't let go…_

"Let me help you up." He flinched again when she touched him, but he let her sit him up, and even on his back there were bruises and cuts, criss-crossing his skin like a net. He rubbed his chest with one hand as he still hid his eyes with the other, clearing his throat and swallowing and grimacing, as if he hated what he was doing. "Would you like some water now?"

Hesitantly, he nodded. He received it carefully, taking small sips, the difficulty of simply swallowing evident in his expression. Sheik rubbed his back soothingly, aware of the knife that she'd kept in her belt, next to the water-gourd.

"What was your ship called? Where was it headed?"

There was a pause, and a small cough. "Ships have names?"

Oh ye gods, this was a hard nut to crack. "Where were you headed, then?"

"I… I don't think I was going anywhere."

Sheik couldn't sense a lie, but she couldn't exactly believe every word he said, either. "Are there any wounds I could look at, sir? On your face, at least?"

Reluctantly, he put his arm down, and she saw a neat, sharp face, paler than anyone she'd ever seen. His lips were thin, cheekbones defined enough to cut air, brow smooth under the mop of miserable hair. His eyes were firmly closed.

"What's your name, sir?"

His reply was prompt. "Link."

Well. It didn't seem like his head was addled, but still… "And where are you from?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, and made a noise that sounded frustrated. "I… can't say."

Sheik's suspicion rose. "As in, you _won't_ say?"

"As in I physically _can't_." he gritted out, rubbing at his jaw and throat, as if that would make him admit to where he'd come from. "I just _can't_."

"_I want to propose a contract." _

"_Oh?" Vaati circled round his cauldron and grinned._

"_You said, as an example, if I get someone to fall in love with me within three days I can be human forever. I'd personally count that as impossible."_

"_Yet one girl fell for it." He chuckled, looking up at the skeleton ceiling in remembrance._

"_What if I give you a contract that would be even _more_ impossible?" Link challenged, shushing Navi as she pulled at his hair in alarm, "Would you give me more time on ground if I dazzle you?"_

"_Oh ho. This will be interesting…"_

"_I propose that you let me stay human, forever, if I convince one of them that I'm a Hylian. That I come from here, that I'm not human. _Without giving a single hint_."_

_Vaati laughed and laughed and laughed._

"…Don't you remember?"

He sighed, and shrugged. His eyes were still closed. Sheik touched his face, and he flinched, gritting out with restrained anger, "What are you doing?"

"I'd prefer that you look at me, sir. Unless you're hurt in the eyes."

He snorted.

"_You have a deal, boy!" Vaati snarled with malicious glee, "You'll have a year on the surface through my arts. Now, what will your price be?"_

"More than hurt. I'm blind."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Standing felt like knives in his feet. _Feet_.

Link was sitting on the beach with Wolf, who was such a massive ball of life-force and heat Link was almost frightened of him. Navi and Midna dared not approach, for fear of getting eaten by the huffing creature.

His fingers felt naked without webs, the air moving coldly over his skin. Link experimentally curled his toes, and wiggled them, and nausea curled his stomach in symphony. Which was anatomically in a _different place_, which made his sudden sickness even more violent. But he didn't give into the retching this time; he breathed, through his mouth and nose.

Ye _gods_. Breathing through the _mouth_ and the _nose_ gods it was weird. And he had to _think _about doing it or else he just stopped, and tensed his torso muscles until the body's instincts took over and _breathed_ again. His human heart thrummed just below his throat, threatening to hop out between his teeth.

"Navi?" he whispered, cocking his head this way and that.

"Yeah?"

"Oh thank gods." Link shuddered with relief, his body relaxing a little. "I can still hear you. I'm not completely human."

"You could've fooled _me_," Navi spitefully commented, crawling on the rocks that he leaned his back against, "You look _different_. Your hair's not green anymore, you look _pink_ in the skin, you have no scales, you-"

"You have feet," Midna offhandedly pointed out, "Which is new."

Navi sighed, tension evident. "Must you _always_ interrupt me?"

There was a contemplative pause. Then a smug statement: "Always, Navi, always."

"Ugh." The blue fairy-crab clacked her claws nervously before saying, "Your pet octoroks came back with your bag full of stuff from the trove, by the way."

Link sighed with relief, picking at the shirt, then the trousers that clung to his body. "Can you thank them for bringing these to me?"

"You should thank _us_ for helping you _wear_ them."

The newly human man grinned. "Didn't I do just that before I knocked myself out?"

"Hmph." Navi finally reached the part of the rock that was closest to Link's shoulder and settled herself there. "I told those octoroks to stay away from the dog and leave your bag in our usual rock pools. You should come get them later before some other human does."

"Thanks again, Navi. Thanks a lot."

"Can we see your eyes?" Midna added, joining Navi's side, "You might not have to keep your eyes closed all the time, depending on how they look."

"Or, you know," Navi sarcastically but optimistically pointed out, "Vaati could've just messed up and given you feet without taking your sense of sight."

"Hopeful, but doubting it," Link grunted, shifting his position. He opened them and looked at where he thought the voices were coming from, and didn't enjoy the silence he got. "Everything's blurred like Vaati put black scales over my eyeballs."

"That's… pretty much what he did, Link."

The man paused, pursed his lips, and said, "That, is disgusting."

"It was a good idea to keep your eyes closed, then," Midna sighed with unexpected relief, "She would've accused you of being cursed."

Link snorted again, smirking. "Aren't I?"

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Vaati grinned to himself, holding a pearl the size of his head aloft in his webbed hands. Faces screamed at him from it, and if Link, or anyone from Castleton had seen them, they would've recognised the female face as Aryl's.

Ankle and Knuckled looked at each other, and then at their master, grinning.

"Did we do good, Master?"

"Master, did we do well?"

"You both did magnificently." Vaati tossed the pearl into the cauldron, making it bubble and spill with smoke, "Now, give me his sight."

They both opened their mouths wide and worked their gullets, from which two greenish lights were forced out to wonder in the cold water of the Black.

Vaati watched them float, and smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Yep. I went there. Vaati is in this fic.<strong>

**I couldn't resist. XD Come on, he's a WIND MAGE, only WIND MAGES can come up with storms. **

**I actually struggled between making him (Link) mute or blind. I mean, muting him would be perfect, he'd be just like he is in the games! But that was, again, really really similar to the movie, so... blindness it is. **

**Anyway, the story gets more interesting from here in, so bear with me, and enjoy the voyage. ;) **

**REVIEW REPLIES! (I like how everyone seemed to enjoy the sand in her face bit... XD)**

_**Airian **_**_Reesu_: Hey, long time no see! And thank you so much for your compliments, I'm glad you're enjoying this fic so far. The original mermaid is less action and more depressing, so you may be better off with just the Disney version, lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and I look forward to hearing from you again. **

_**Darkwolflink1: **_**Yes, they do meet up. XD And all the excitement begins! Thanks again for your review, and I hope you liked this one too. **

_**Lady **_**_Kurina_: Eh, I'm happy you reviewed at all, to be honest. XD Thanks for coming around, it's really good to see a familiar name. I hope you liked that chapter, and I can't wait to see what you think!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy **_**_Destiny_: Glad you liked! Lol, you're right, fanfics by definition is cheating in a way, eh. Yay to less guilt! And school really is depressing when you can't update when you want, eh. Anyway, here's the update, and I hope you enjoyed it like the other two chapters. **

_**Arrowriver: **_**Wow. Yeah, dreams can be pretty damn warped, huh? And, I hope you read the paragraph at the top of the story, cuz... yeah, apologies and explanations are all there. Though, he's blind instead of mute, so there's that? He also has a year, instead of three days? Among other things, which shall be revealed throughout the story. Thanks for the comment; it helped out writing this chapter. **

_**deikitty:**_** Hi deikitty! Thanks for stopping over! I hope you liked this chapter too, and I look forward to more of your reviews. :)**

_**shadowdragon4444: **_**Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter too. :)**

_**goldenrhino: **_**Wow, thank you! Though in other romantic writers' defence, it's probably because i mix action/adventure into my stories, while they're straight-lace romance. For me... it's a little too sweet. Like treacle. ugh. XP Anyway****, thanks for your review, I'm glad to see you again. **

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**Thanks! Since fire was pretty new to Link I wanted to make it look alive, like a creature, so I hope that turned out alright. As for his hideout, totally a rip-off of Ariel's cove, but turned bad-ass. And Navi will continue to be silly/stupid. XD I love making different personalities for her. I hope you liked this chapter too; see you in the next chapter!**

**So yeah. Review, won't you? I love replying. XD**


	4. Distrust

**So yeah, took me long enough. (-_-) **

**I'm sorry the updates have been few and far between. I hope it won't stay the same for much longer, considering my teaching course (yes I'm learning to become a language teacher) is nearly over and the christmas holdiays are heading ever closer.**

**I guess the best part for me is that if you leave a story long enough, it accumulates reviews...**

**Anyway, here's a chapter (it's mostly a filler, I AM SO SORRY) and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Review replies are at the bottom as per usual. :)**

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

_**Distrust**_

The stranger was carried into one of the many guest-rooms of the Beachside Villa, and a healer was called for in due time. It turned out that she wasn't completely wanted; the man's hands glowed blue as he rubbed his wounds, knitting the broken flesh together.

The healer bristled up, horrified and indignant. "My! After all the effort of getting ready you treat yourself to your own medicine, I suppose? Have you even disinfected those cuts?"

The stranger frowned even as he gently brushed the cuts across his jaw with glowing fingertips. He'd taken the liberty of blindfolding himself by ripping his sleeve, showing bruises across his muscled arm. "Disin-what?"

"Hold, _still, please_." The healer hissed with unrestrained rage, and with a shiver of fear the man did as he was told.

A ways down the corridor from the guest's room was Impa, Chancellor Auru Knightly and Vice-Chancellor Shad Sparrow, glaring at the monarch with varying degrees of disapproval.

"Where did you find this man, Princess?"

"On the beach, Impa," Sheik laced her fingers together and lowered her head, contritely. "I found him when I went for a walk with Wolf."

The grey-haired woman drawled with some exasperation, "And what exactly convinced you that it was a good idea to let this man into your home?"

"I couldn't just _leave_ him there, could I?" she grumped, crossing her arms childishly, "That would've been cruel, not to mention irresponsible."

"There are things called _hospitals, _my lady! And Coastal Guards!" Auru cried out, the volume of his voice just barely under a shout, "You could've called for their help and left the rest up to _them_. Yet, you decide to carry this man into your life like some… like some stray _pup_."

"In my defence," Sheik replied tartly, "That worked out well for me and Wolf."

Auru's paler face bloomed, a vein pulsing on the side of his temple. "Unlike miniscule canines this man could mean you harm!"

"Yes, because a blind man is oh so very dangerous."

"Sarcasm won't lead you anywhere, Princess," Shad sighed, making her avoid his gaze, "But what's done is done. We can always shift him to the hospital if he needs more attention, or we can keep him here for questioning if he proves himself suspicious. Or, luck willing, Ilia will treat him and he'll be off on his merry way."

"I find that doubtful, Master Sparrow," a new voice to the conversation reported, and when they turned round a blond young woman with short hair stood before them, green-shot eyes glinting as her pert mouth grimaced. "He may be docile as a kitten, but he's as suspicious as they get."

Sheik stepped towards her before her advisors could interject. "How is he, Lady Ilia?"

"Healthy, if a little banged up." She curtseyed back politely before continuing, "Bruises and abrasions, mostly. No broken bones or pulled muscles."

"And how exactly is he suspicious?"

"His injuries aren't those common to shipwrecks. The nastier bruises ring here, here, his ankles," She explained, tapping her own wrist and elbows in demonstration, "And they riddle his back; it looks like he was bound and beaten. As for his scrapes, they're common in children playing in the sea-side rocks. He continues to refuse treatment for his eyes. He won't even let me touch them."

"So there's a high possibility that he's a criminal."

"Isn't that just perfect…"

"What kind of assumption is _that_?" Sheik incredulously looked from one chancellor to another, horrified. "He could've been a prisoner, or a captive or _something_. _Must_ you be so negative?"

"You're too kind, Lady Sheik," Impa insisted, scowling, "You must learn to be more cautious. Not all men are good men."

"By the _Gods_," Sheik spat, "I know that, but there's got to be _balance_. Are you hearing yourselves? It's like we've lost our sense of generosity ever since that shipwreck!"

"People died on that ship your Highness!" Auru finally bellowed, making Sheik flinch, "And you were nearly _one of them_!"

Sheik looked at Auru, face twisted in a scowl as she bit the inside of her bottom lip. She blinked back tears, making them jolt; her voice was strangled when she spoke next. "What makes you think I've forgotten? What makes you think I don't think about it? I am aware. I am _so_ aware of that, it's been with me when I walk on the beach, when I enter the town, when I _sleep_. _Yes_, I nearly drowned." she was shouting now, and she hadn't shouted since she was six over a silly tantrum. "But please understand that _drowning hurts_! So unless there's evidence that he's somehow related to that _freak_ of a storm, I will do what I've done since I was put in power, _and help whoever comes my way_!"

"Um…"

Sheik gasped, clapped the heels of her palms against her eyes, counted to five, slowly, before looking at Ilia, smoothing her skirts. "I'm sorry. That was unsightly. You were saying?"

"Well, the patient uses magic I've never seen before…"

Everyone noticed the unease in the Healer's tone. It was Impa that finally asked, "What do you mean?"

"He… he manipulates water, my Lady."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

The water stung.

Link winced as he touched his water-gloved hand against a large scrape on his arm, and gritted his teeth as the water stung him again, even as it soothed and healed. The medicine in the water the human, Ilia, had added was making it sting, but she'd insisted that it was good for him and who was Link to refuse her knowledge? He was human too, now.

But stinging and healing? It was a contradiction. It was nonsense. How did humans _cope_?

He heard a scrape, click, and footsteps. He looked at where he thought the sound was coming from, but finding that useless, tilted his ear in that direction instead. "Who's there?"

"Me again. Ilia."

"Hello Ilia." He concentrated on the voice, determined to connect it with the name without thought, in future.

He heard something scrape the floor, and felt her presence settle close by. "I'm going to examine the arm you've fixed."

"It's fine," he told her frankly, though with a hint of confusion. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Show me how you do it."

"I just… touch it." He demonstrated by rubbing the glowing water against the bruises ringing his elbow, and he felt it heal, washing the pain away. "Like everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Yes, everyone." Link repeated with a hint of frustration, "I can do it better than most, but still. You're a healer, aren't you?"

"Yes, but we don't have magic like this in Termina."

"Termina?" Link frowned. He repeated the name to himself quietly, cocking his head. "Is that a country?"

There was a pause, before she incredulously replied, "Country, of course."

"Wow." Link lifted his gloved hand, still gleaming with water, before combing it through his hair and letting it drip. "How do you cope?"

"We cope well." Ilia's tone was dry, and maybe even offended. "And where exactly is this method of healing so common?"

"Um… in…" he opened his mouth, working his throat, but no other words came out. After a few long seconds he gave up, shrugged, and said, "I don't remember."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I try to say something, the words don't come out." Link explained, aware that it was insufficient and useless. But memory-loss was an ideal cover, at least until he could gain their trust. "Like a hole in my brain. I don't like it."

Then he frowned, and cocked his head, hearing a swish of cloth, a breath huffing with scepticism. "Is someone else here?"

"Uh…" a guilty pause, then, "Yes, yes there are. My superiors, who're interested in you."

"Hello." Link said, waving a hand carefully as to not hit Ilia, "I'm Link."

"I know. You told me before."

Link froze, hardly believing his ears but then, slowly, a warm smile pulled at his face. "Sheik."

"That is _lady_ Sheik to you, young man." An old man's voice warned, making him grin wider.

"Was I saved by a Princess?"

"Not quite a Princess," Sheik told him, stepping closer. "But not quite Queen, either."

"I'm honoured." Link told her pleasantly, still smiling, "Thank you."

"We would like to question you, Link." Auru rumbled, making Sheik scowl, "That is, if Lady Ilia sees you fit enough to do so."

"I'd say he's fit enough," Ilia shrugged, but Link frowned.

"Why? Who are you?"

"It's standard procedure," Auru explained, "And my name is Auru Knightly, Chancellor and advisor to Lady Sheik."

Link sighed and shrugged, "If you must…"

"I'll need to hold your hand," Auru grunted as he got settled close to him, and Link extended his hand in the general direction, confused. Then he felt the Sheikah magic jolt his blood, but gritting his teeth he bore with it. "Now, what is your name?"

"Link." The tips of his hands were beginning to tingle with discomfort.

"Where do you come from?"

"I…" he vaguely realised that the Sheikah must be searching for lies in his words, but really, did the human _have _to mess with his blood? It especially hurt when Vaati's curse battled with it and his throat at the same time. "I can't say."

"How did you end up on the beach?"

"A dolphin dropped me."

"Which ship were you on? What was your occupation?"

"I didn't know ships had names. I was a book-keeper." Not a complete lie…

"Have you committed murder of a fellow man, woman or child?"

Thank the Light that the question was so specific. "No."

"Do you mean harm to Lady Sheik?"

This he could say with confidence: "Never."

"Right," Auru let him go, and Link quickly retracted his hand and held it in the other. Pain niggled at it like shrimps scuttling under his skin; he couldn't see it, but his hand was red as if dunked in hot water. "Thank you for your time."

"As long as I don't have to endure that again," Link winced as he replied, his attempt at humour failing him.

"Miss Ilia here tells me you're refusing treatment for your eyes." The deep voice belonging to Auru continued, and Link suppressed his urge to wince again.

"I won't be getting my sight back in a long time. It's my… it's my _legs_ that, that need help. I don't know if I can walk."

He felt _cold_ when he mentioned his legs, gods his _legs_, as they prodded the pair of anatomy that should be just _one_, told him to flex muscles unfamiliar to him, body-parts called _knees_, and _heels_, _ankles_, _toes_, it turned his stomach.

His stomach, which, was supposed to be further up his torso. And it was rebelling. He could feel it. He could genuinely feel the inside of his stomach boil and climb, and he desperately gripped the sheets with one hand, clamped his mouth shut with the other, trying to dam it back in.

"Let it out. _Let it out._"

Someone handed him a bowl as they demanded of him this unnatural act, forcing his hand away from his mouth and all he could do was surrender to the horrendous _human _urge to eject what was inside him as if it were poison, as if the emotion of fear and shock and horror and self-disgust could be drained out of him with the putrid insides of his guts.

He coughed, his throat and teeth burning like a smoking crater beneath the sulphurous waves, and just that made him remember its effects of poisonous sleep, and that was all it took.

He'd had enough. It was too much. He let his consciousness drop into utter oblivion.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

He wondered why he couldn't open his eyes, and then he remembered the blindfold. The cloth felt different, however. Groggily, he touched it and it was softer, finer, and there was no trace of old brine, or even age. It was damp, and when he sniffed his fingers it smelt of plants of the land.

Oh by the gods, he was…

"Navi? Midna?"

Of course there was no reply. A pang of loneliness hit him, and it was… empty. The air. He couldn't hear the sea, or smell it, or sense it.

He needed to get outside, _now_. He pulled himself up, gritting his teeth (gods humans had such clumpy, clumsy teeth) and his stomach growled at his sudden movement. He gave it a good punch to shut it up, displeased with its rebellion earlier, and shoved the covers off of his legs.

Walking. Ah.

He fumbled for something to cling onto. It was going to be a long walk.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

"I hope you're happy," the nurse on night duty grumbled, as she opened the door and led Link onto the back porch, which faced the sea.

Immediately his frame relaxed. The lines of his face smoothed over as the moon lit his pale features, ghostly by Sheikah standards. "Yes, thank you. Your name is Beth, again?"

"Yes it is. Are you ready to go back, now?"

"I'd like to stay." He replied, and continued on to the sound of the waves on the crutches he'd been supplied, the sighs of the foam calling to him. "You're free to go back. I think I'll be staying till morning."

"But…" the little nurse was tempted to leave, it was obvious, but obligations made her hesitate. "You'll catch your cold."

"No I won't," he chuckled, "It's warm."

Link (obviously) didn't see that she was holding her arms against herself, wincing as an unusually icy wind blew onshore. She watched him shuffle over the steps hesitantly, then over the grass, then past the fence, onto the smoothed stones, then the shell shards and finally onto the sand. Then he just stood there facing the wind and the waves, still as stone.

Beth didn't know what to do, but she had to look after the other patients in the ward and if she wasn't there Lady Ilia was going to murder her.

She hurried back, but left the candle in easy reach of the door.

Link was reacquainting himself with the feel of salt on his skin, and introducing himself to the feel of sand between his toes. He gently shifted his weight from his crutches to his feet, and bent his knees as gravity pushed his weight onto his thighs, the muscles flexing naturally, his brain now used to the mechanics of his new body.

"Navi? Midna?"

Again, no reply. He wondered which way it was to his old rocks. Maybe, if he just walked for a bit along the coast he'd reach it.

The sea sounded so different out here. So… soft.

Unable to help but smile even as he hobbled across the sand, he felt the sea over the skin of his feet, cool and light with foam. He would probably never be let back in, but he took comfort in the fact that it didn't burn him, like everything seemed to be doing in this human world, and that it was still the same when everything seemed a mess.

His mood was lifted even higher when he heard Navi and Midna calling his name.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

"So, did your theory about sound work?" Navi asked, chewing on a piece of kelp.

"Nope," Link told them brightly, chewing on a piece of his own, "Nothing like whale-song exists here. I'm officially blind."

"Well, it _was_ an assumption that depended on a massive piece of luck." Midna said with an eye-roll-worthy tone, "And luck doesn't follow people who expect the good kind in their plans."

"First one worked." Link replied with a shrug, "Longest shot, Sheik still found me."

"You sound like such a con-artist," Navi grumbled, "Completely opportunistic and sly. It's not like you."

"I'm blind," he snorted, swallowing his kelp, "What part of that is sly?"

"You were _still_ counting on her helping you."

Link defensively huffed, chewing. The kelp was hard to break with human teeth, and, ugh. It was making his gullet itch.

"Well she seems very kind to me," Midna offhandedly commented, "Though a bit _too_ kind, and naïve."

"Maybe that'll help." Navi muttered to herself, before speaking a little louder. "Because you need to convince _someone_ that you're a mer, right? To not lose your bet with Vaati."

Link nodded, that growing discomfort in his mouth making him swallow.

"Well, maybe Sheik's the best candidate. If she's naïve, she'll probably have dreams and fantasies about the one who saved her from that shipwreck, and then she'll think, considering the timing, that it's you. The irony is that it _is_ you. And then, she'll think that you're a mer, and then the spell will be broken and you'll be on your merry way."

"The spell breaks anyway, Navi," Link coughed, rubbing his throat. "Exactly a year from now."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"But your friend has a point," Midna pointed out, "Sheik really is the best candidate for this crazy guessing game. You just have to play her right."

Link frowned. "I am not a con-artist."

"You are now."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

"So what are we to do with him?" Impa questioned the others, who frowned and looked at each other grimly.

"Considering his state," Shad Sparrow sighed, "He needs help."

"But we don't have enough staff members to look after this man as well as the survivors of that storm," Auru grunted, "And we keep finding more survivors on the shore, most of whom need more help than this man, not mention they are citizens of this country."

"I never suggested we keep him," the younger councillor replied calmingly, "But I think he needs help. Mentally, as well as physically."

"I, personally, don't like the idea of this man close to our Ladyship," Impa supplied, shaking her head. "She has enough troubles to contend with, and for all we know he means her trouble."

"Are you questioning my abilities at finding lies, Lady Impa?"

"No, I'm saying he can always change his mind from 'never' to 'maybe', depending on how much he is paid or how much he remembers. That is," she added with disdain, "If his memory lapse is even true."

"Shall I research whether there are spells that can seal one's intentions, then?" Shad offered, but Auru shook his head.

"I've already made arrangements. Though I believe there was no lie in his words, there was something strange about this man's life-blood."

"Then, do we keep him for further investigation? Or do we let some other institution, such as the hospital, or prison to take care of him?" Impa impatiently snapped, knowing full-well what _she_ wanted to do but unable to implement it without at least another of her equals' agreement.

"We will keep him for now," Shad proposed, "But let him go once he proves himself suspicious, or there aren't enough beds for all."

"I agree." Auru glanced at Impa, and with her consenting nod they relaxed; one decision made, another hundred or more to go. And most of them were Sheik's business.

Speaking of…

Impa pinched the bridge of her nose and growled. "She's gone for a walk on the beach again, hasn't she."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

**The Chapter, admittedly, was supposed to be longer, but I got impatient so I decided to submit it. You'll get what was supposed to be the end of this chapter at the beginning of the next anyway, so, yeah. :) Wait for me?**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

_**Lady Kurina**_**:  
>Oh, Link shall be getting his clue. XD It's an awesome clue. There's a breif hint in this chapter that'll tell you what his plan is (see if you can guess!). And yeah, his eyes basically looks like one big iris, or like his eyes has a layer of black snake-skin over his eyes. He'll be blind-folded for pretty much the rest of the story, so, I decided not to go too deeply into the details. <strong>

_**deikitty**_**:  
>It was blind or mute, and to make things interesting I made him blind. Yeah, that decision made me a little sad too. But they'll come back, like, at the end of the story, so, there's that to look forward to? Anyway, I'm glad you like the story, and i hope you like this chapter too. XD<strong>

_**Code Geass ViceroyDestiny**_**  
>Funnily I'd considered that long-running sentence thing like my writing style, but realised how stupid it was. Good to know I'm getting better, though I still feel like i can't quite describe the action as well as those annoying sentences... anyway, I hope your mom's gotten better from her surgery. Can't wait to get your review! Have a nice day!<strong>

_**Airian Reesu**_**  
>Good to see you! Yeah, definitely followed TLM but now, branching off like a crazy squirell on coffee! XD And I'm glad you noticed the two merged scenes thing, because those scenes on their own just took WAAAAY too long. It dragged like hell. And, oh yes, Vaati has such plans for Link's sight. SO many plans. <strong>

_**DragonXander:**_**  
>Lol, as long as you enjoy the fic, who gives? Thank you so much for your enthusiasm. On losing my data, you're totally right about paper being more reliable, but I, too, am a lazy bastard. :P Besides, it's only fanfiction. :) Also, to be perfectly honest I don't know what happened to the Zora in this story, but I'm just gonna assume they and the Hylians interbred or something and merged to create the typical mermaidsmen. The Zora in the story so far are Sheikah equivalents to Knights, or a the very least Noble Soldiers. Thanks for reading, I hope to hear from you again!**

_**CatGotTongue:  
><strong>_**Yes, the story would've totally been over by now if it only lasted three days. But I want to get into the politics of Termina and then the experiences of being human in loads of environments, and not to mention develop romance. Seriously, true love in three nights? Unbelievable. I wish this chapter had gone further into the plot, but unfortunately, life is evil. Thanks for your review, and I hope i get to see another one. :)**

_**goldenrhino**_**:  
>It was confusion or lots of dragging and dialogue, so, I chose the former. Sorry that it was a little confusing, though. :( And thanks for the compliment on the blindness thing! I reckoned Link and red eyes just wouldn't really suit. Thanks for the review, and I hope for another one from you.<strong>

_**arrowriver**_**:  
>You truly are helpful, arrowriver, as is everyone who makes useful comments. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and that you have a nice day. Oh and leaving a review would make my day AWESOME.<strong>

_**Trolly's Bara-chan**_**:  
>I think they'll come to the conclusion that Link is a mermaid, oh, in chapter... it's a secret. XD But there will be plenty of hints that the characters can work on while Link's thinking DAMN IT WHY ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? Oh, and Vaati totally did something to Aryl. You'll find out too! <strong>

_**Farli30519**_**:  
>Thank you! I love it when people put my stories on their favourite list, it makes me feel so loved! Thanks for the review, and don't forget to leave another one!<strong>

_**Benzoatena:**_**  
>Wow! You read all that in a couple of days? That's amazing! And more importantly, thank you so much for reading them! I'm glad you enjoyed the read, and that you like my writing style. Anyway, here's another chapter of Blue Pearls, and I hope you like it as much as the other two stories. :)<strong>

_**Me**_**: ****  
>Hey Me! Good to see you! And thanks you so much for your compliments, truly. And yep, the dead Whale is the Windfish. Or one of its kids. I'm just evil that way. I hope you like this chapter too!<strong>

**So that's it for now, folks, and I do hope I get to update again before the year ends! X(**


	5. Sing

**Hey! XD I'm in the holidays now so I blitzed this chapter to get it out of the way. The real excitement should start in the next chapter. **

**Should. **

**Anyway, hope you like, despite nothing really happening, and review replies are at the bottom as per usual. **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sing<strong>_

The sea glittered glass shards and diamonds under the sun, and Sheik had to shield her eyes to even begin to appreciate it. Her dog, as usual, was chasing the spray of the crashing waves, and tossing sand and spinning in circles and tossing seaweed this way and that and Sheik laughed, both in relief and amusement.

At least the animal was the same as always, not even after that storm. Though that may be considered a bad thing, since it just proved that there was no way in hell the creature would ever mature.

Wolf stopped. Sheik rolled her eyes. He stalked towards where he was looking, and then after ripping out a massive grin bounded away, barking (when was that dog going to calm down?) and Sheik huffily followed. She'd learnt years ago that running after him was a pointless exercise, so she walked, let him tire himself out, then watch him come back. Oddly, he didn't come back this time.

Frowning, Sheik jogged a little and was surprised by what she found.

It was that stranger, Link, standing a little ways away from the rocks, looking a little scared by Wolf bounding and barking around him. "Wolf! Behave!"

The dog bounded back and crouched on the sand, tail wagging furiously, waiting for a ball or a stick to be thrown from either his master or the newcomer.

Sheik pointed an admonishing finger at him and growled, "Wolf, _no_."

Disappointment was obvious as he lay down and dropped his jaw across his paws.

This time Sheik ran, huffing to a stop next to the man. "I'm sorry. He thinks he's still the puppy I found five years ago."

He looked relieved, the frown easing away from his brow, the tension leaving his shoulders. He tilted his ear towards where she stood before enquiring, "Sheik?"

Ah, right. Blind. "Yes, it's me, Link."

"Isn't it early to be walking?"

The princess cocked her eyebrow, but snorted in amusement. "Is it because I'm a Princess?"

His smile was wan as he shook his head. "Just assuming. No-one else is about."

"What are _you_ doing out here so early anyway?" Sheik asked curiously, noting the sand that peppered the shins of his trousers, the damp that gently pressed on his clothes. And they were the clothes reserved for the sick, so had he…? "You should be in the infirmary, shouldn't you?"

"I couldn't hear the sea. And I needed to practice walking." He smiled a little proudly, thumbing over his shoulder. "I don't need them as much now."

Sheik looked at the rocks he was pointing at and found two crutches, wincing when she noted the sand that covered its surfaces, and the gouges at their feet from connecting with rocks and shells. Then she frowned. "What's that bag?"

He nodded. "My belongings, I think."

"You _think_?"

"Depends on the bag, doesn't it."

"Ah."

"It should have pearls. And gold."

Sheik blinked, and looked from the bag, to him, and then back at the bag. "I'm sorry, but did I hear you right? Pearls? Gold?"

"And possibly worthless paraphernalia." Link shrugged and turned around, taking a slow step forward, dragging his foot through the sand, his hands outstretched for balance. "I realised I had them, so I went looking."

Sheik watched him take a few steps, such strange, wobbly steps. Like a little filly taking its first steps. Then she realised what she was doing, blushed, and clicking her fingers so Wolf would come she hurried towards this strange man, extending a hand to him. "Would you like some assistance?"

"Please." His hand fluttered out and she gently held it, surprised at his firm grip. "Thank you."

"It's nothing, truly."

He smiled in her direction, and by the gods he really did have a pale face. The sun seemed to glow over his skin as if over a pool of water, his liquid topaz hair sliding over his head and blindfold like tufts of little streams. It was almost sickly, yet… his translucency gave him a strange sort of life, as if he belonged to a different world.

"Are we close to the rocks?"

"Oh." They were perilously close, but she said instead (with some embarrassment), "Just arrived."

"My bag, should be…"

"Here." She took it from the rocks, and it indeed clinked and clattered as if filled with pearls and gold and possibly worthless paraphernalia. She hesitated before grabbing the crutches as well, not noticing the two crabs that clutched tightly onto the handles. "You should take the crutches, while I hold the bag. You'll be able to walk a little better, wouldn't you?"

"Thank you." He said again, as he was handed the instruments for walking. They turned around, and they walked in silence, except for the waves, the breeze, and Wolf's continued barking in the distance.

After step after hobbled step, Link cleared his throat and spoke with some trepidation. "I… I do remember where I come from."

Sheik blinked at him, and then frowned. "Oh?"

"I've been exiled. For a… cultural crime."

Her frown deepened in bewilderment. "_Cultural_?"

"Best explanation I can think of." He shrugged, smile both sheepish and shamed. "I came in contact with the enemy."

She doubtfully walked next to this man who'd suddenly become a lot more complicated than ever expected. "I see…"

"I won't lie to you. I don't want to." He said, heaving a sigh, "But I can't say things. It's… it gets stuck in my throat. Magic."

"I somehow sense a deep paranoia from your situation," Sheik noted dryly, peeking inside the bag, flinching when the lip slipped and a flash of sunlight reflected against some puckered surfaces of gold and silver.

Link snorted. "My people don't like their secrets revealed."

"And I also think that's the longest sentence I've heard from you."

He stopped, and gave a quizzical expression that made Sheik want to laugh. "Really?"

"Oh yes."

"Oh." He blushed, and he scratched his face as he did so, as if the show of embarrassment discomforted him. Sheik couldn't help but laugh.

"And what were you planning to do with your life in exile?"

"I didn't know. But… now, I would like to spend it with you."

Sheik stopped, and he must have heard her, because he stopped too. He turned his head, and it was as if he could see her through the blindfold because he was facing her, completely and accurately. "I've shocked you."

"Well, yes, I… I mean, I don't know what to say."

"I'll pay with those." He said, jerking his head indicatively. "The pearls I mean. Then I'll work. If you would have me."

"Oh, uh…" Sheik cursed herself, for flattering herself with his words, thinking they had a romantic meaning…"It's just, I mean, my castle isn't exactly an _inn_."

"What's an inn?" he asked, cocking his head.

Her jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Seriously. What's an inn?"

She almost stuttered, so astounded was she that he didn't know what an _inn_ was. "Where people stay when on journeys? Professional houses that serves as paid shelter for those away from home? A building filled with rooms to be lent to people for a price?"

He seemed to dwell on that, then frowned. "That seems like such a waste of space. Do rooms go empty when business is bad?"

"Well, yes, I suppose."

"What waste of space," Link remarked, continuing walking, "Where I'm from we rely on family for shelter. Or strangers, if one travels far. Don't people drift in and take it for themselves?"

"That's what… oh, never mind." Sheik huffed and caught up with him, before giving him a sideways glance. "Is that how it _really_ works, where you come from?"

"Like I said, no lies to you." Link snorted and shook his head, muttering again about waste of space. "It's fine if you prefer me in an inn."

Sheik sighed, thought on it, and shook her head. "No. With payment, you can stay in my home. As for work, however, I don't know what you can do for me."

"I used to dive for pearls?" he offered, adding as an aside, "When I wasn't book-keeping."

"I don't think anything that involves much labour would be good for you, considering your condition."

"Don't worry," he grinned, "I'm a fast healer."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

"Link, seriously, what _are_ you going to do?" Navi wailed, once she and Midna had been deposited by his bed, and not many people were around.

"I don't know," he muttered, pacing along the infirmary wall, his steps now resembling that of a human's. "But first I need _see_."

"I thought the point was that you _can't_!"

"Midna, tell her about bots."

"_Bats_." Midna corrected, clicking her bright claws, "Creatures on the ground, and they're famous for being utterly blind. But they live life as if they can see, and no-one knows why."

"What," Navi surmised doubtfully, "So some sort of whale-song _exists_ here?"

"We just," Link gritted out, as his toe snubbed the floor and nearly tripped him, "need to _find_ it."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

They'd called upon the town jewellers, as the castle treasurer back in the capital wouldn't reach them in time. All four of them (tall and short and middling in height, looking pompously dignified in their tailored suits and polished shoes) gathered round and expected the pock-marked goods with keen interest, hints of disgust or greed, but mostly bewilderment glinting in their eyes.

"The pearls are all real, for sure,"

"Yes, and some of them _quite_ rare. Isn't this a blood-ball?"

"The _uncouth_ name, certainly. We distinguished dealers prefer to call them Death's Tears."

"They're both horrible names." Sheik shuddered, looking at the innocent pearl that wavered shades of metallic blue across its surface. It was certainly beautiful, not to mention as big as the knuckle of her thumb, but aside from that the name seemed completely uncalled for. "Why is it called that?"

"How much do you know about a Venus flytrap, my Lady?"

"Just that it's a plant that looks like a clamp and it eats flies, why?"

"I dare say those clams were named after that devilish vegetation. Because these pearls are created in clams as large as your dog, Lady," one of the jewellers explained, "Or perhaps bigger. Named 'Dark Venus' because they devour prey as those plants previously mentioned do. Not only that, to ensure the prey don't escape the clams have what can only be described as teeth, lining their shells. Many a diver has lost a limb to these clams whilst claiming these pearls. Usually, because of the bloodshed, the pearls themselves are stained red or purple…"

"But sometimes, specimens such as these, pure, untainted are retrieved by the most daring and skilled of divers." The one holding the pearl put it back on its velvet cushion, staring at it longingly. "One would never have to work again, if one were to sell this to you."

"The treasures don't stop there, my lady, see…"

And they showed her the gold that once polished was worthy of royalty, of jewels the size of her fingernails, the strings of silver that were once magnificent but ruined by brine, and a porcelain plate that hadn't yet lost its colours or shine. Admittedly most of the contents of the bag was complete and utter rubbish like bent spoons and cracked glass pots and children's hair accessories amongst other things, the meagre treasure would have set him up for maybe three lifetimes.

If the Link himself had come across any of these jewellers to verify the worth of the pearls of jewels, surely he would've been robbed blind.

Sheik winced at herself for that.

"Thank you, gentlemen. I believe it's time to pay I what I owe you. If you would come this way…"

"Uh, my Lady, wouldn't it perhaps be simpler, if we were, well, to relieve you of some of the more worthless of the pearls…?"

Sheik somehow got the feeling that even she was being played. Not by a much, but enough to give these men a better pay. She smiled graciously, however, and gave a little curtsey. "I am most pleased and surprised by your kindness, but I must decline. These pearls aren't mine."

"Ah. Fair enough…"

She gave them more than they were due, and some looked surprised, others looked sheepish. She watched those reactions and took note of them, and pleased with herself for seeing who the honest were (and who wasn't), led them out of her villa herself.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

A week passed, Link had been given a guestroom and Sheik had made someone buy him clothes, all at his expense (making the counsellors more distrustful of him). He'd been surprised pearls were worth so much, and a little relieved that the worthless things hadn't been thrown away. It was his decision to do what he wanted with them, Sheik had said, and Link gladly lined his things up on a table by his bed, often touching them when he sat down to relieve the tire in his feet.

He was used to walking now, but still, he was using muscles that he'd acquainted himself with only a few days ago, and the surface compared to home prioritised exercise in different ways.

For one, the land made him feel heavy. He had never felt so _heavy_ before. His weight hurled itself down, and downwards only, so all he had was his _feet_ to take the brunt of the onslaught of weight.

It left the rest of him restless. The sea had been a constant pressure around his body, giving him something to test himself against, something to push back to. Here, nothing. It made him want to spin and turn and flip and circle himself, to somehow _use_ what wasn't being used, and it was frustrating as all hell.

But if he couldn't see where and what he was doing, all he was going to do was injure himself. By the _gods_. This was driving him down to the dark.

Not that he wasn't already _in_ the dark. Gods.

He really needed something to see with…

He'd been given a cane, of course, but if that was how humans lived in the dark, Link wanted none of it. He still had his ears from home, why else would he still be able to hear and talk to his friends? So, it had to be said that he'd be able to use whale-song even in this world.

It was the first trick every mer learnt as a child; when lost in the dark depths, or in the open sea, listen for the whales. Their songs reverberated through the ocean, and bounced back off rocks and beach and fish, anything solid in the surroundings. If you listened right, if you tuned into the song… the darkest ocean might as well be the clearest bay; you could work out where what was just by listening. Singing back wasn't such a bad idea either, as long as you weren't tone-deaf.

Link sighed, aching for home.

Then he heard something.

He shot upright. He cocked his head to the side, hearing his friends gasp in surprise. He grabbed his cane, and once he had a hand against the wall, he _ran_.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Sheik slid her fingertips over the dark, glossy surface of the pianoforte, and smiled. She pressed the ivory keys lovingly before rolling the silk over them, and gently closed the lid. She nearly bounced with joy; pressing her fingers to her mouth she grinned and grinned, trying to contain it. Finally, there'll be _music_ in this house.

Ah, but first, propriety. "It sounds wonderful again. Thank you."

"It only needed a few adjustments," the little man said as the blushing assistant nodded fervently, holding his master's briefcase, "You take excellent care of the instrument as it is."

"Thank you either way," she bowed, making the man bloom around his snowy moustache just as brightly as the freckled young man. "You've truly made me happy."

"Considering the tragedy you've been through, your Highness, it's my honour and-"

"Wait!_ Damn it_!" Link burst through the door gasping, tilting his head this way and that to catch a sound, any sound, "Someone please tell me this is where that noise came from."

"By Gods, man!" The little tradesman hollered in outrage even as Sheik blinked in surprise, "What racket is this you're making in front of our Lady?"

He looked completely ridiculous, barefooted, cane in hand, hair ruffled, clothes rumpled as if he'd taken a nap in them. "What Lady?"

"This Lady," she drawled with amusement, making Link perk up.

"Sheik? Oh by gods, did you hear that noise?"

He looked so hopeful, so desperate, she _had _to humour him. "What _noise_, Link?"

"It, I don't know, it was metal, but the noise seemed to go on forever, like it echoed, like, it, please tell me it came from here. I've lost it, and I… I thought…"

His desperation was truly sinking into her, and she wondered, even as the assistant of the man she'd hired tried to usher out the blind man, what could be so special about this noise that it'd cause such distress. Sighing, she opened the pianoforte, and pressed a key.

A resounding B filled the Hall.

"Is this the sound you're looking for, Link?"

Everyone had paused. Link cocked his head, even as the assistant held his shoulders in an attempt to push him out of the room, before he shook his head. "No. But it followed the noise I was looking for. Constantly."

Sheik frowned, then apologetically smiled at the Dealer. "I'm sorry sir, but could you please humour me? I'd like to listen to your tuners."

"Well… yes, I, I suppose…"

He motioned to his assistant, who'd abandoned the briefcase full of equipment to restrain Link. Together they heaved it onto the pianoforte, unlocked it to reveal the rows of metal two-pronged forks inside, and gently picking one up from its groove, the dealer tapped it against the lid of the trunk.

The smile that spread across his face was just as bright as the note the tuner unleashed.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Link disappeared for five weeks, chasing after the music dealer.

Sheik was understandably worried (whilst Navi and Midna were utterly terrified for him) but she had other things to do, so she busied herself with those duties, thinking vaguely that he might not be coming back when he'd been gone for two and a half weeks.

She was surprised (pleasantly) when he came back, though she frowned at the soot on his clothes and a lack of a cane. Instead he was holding what could only be described as a baton. And his clothes were going to be in a bigger mess if he put one more foot into the storage.

She put the list of equipment and supplies down onto a crate before placing her hands onto her hips. "Link? Are you alright?"

"More than." He swung the baton around, stepping carelessly towards her voice. "I can see now."

Sheik stared at the blindfold that still hugged his eyes, quelling the urge to drawl: "Really."

Instead she tried to get to him, dodging crates and boxes and bags. "Link, this room is cluttered; I don't think you should come any closer. You'll probably trip."

"I won't." He grinned, tapping the thin metal baton against the doorframe. "I promise you. Please, stay where you are."

The tap of the baton was enough. Waves of sound bounced out and bounced back, and Link tilted his head and _listened_, as the cheery notes told him where everything was. With confidence, he stepped forward.

Sheik watched, amazement blooming across her features and shining in her red eyes, as he first simply dodged, and then spun, then _danced_ around the crates and bags and piles of goods, a wide smile plastered across his face as he, a blind man, literally waltzed across the room and stood before her, to bow.

"You're _insane_." Sheik gasped, staring at him in utter shock, "How did you _do_ that?"

"I listened. Blind men do that."

"What… what _is_ this? Is this what let you do that?" Sheik touched his hand that held the device, and tentatively asked him, "May I look at it?"

"Of course." He took her hand and pressed what could only be described as the hilt of the item into her palm, and she gently examined it, careful to not cut herself on its razor-sharp edges.

It was roughly the same length as what spanned from her fingertips to her elbow, not including the hilt. It looked like a tuner if you squinted, but the gap between the two prongs was miniscule, and the prongs themselves were flat and sharp, like a blade. In fact it looked more like a weapon than an instrumental tool, but the craftsmanship was exquisite nonetheless.

"It's beautiful, truly. Where did you get this?"

"From the smith." Link replied easily, pulling a casual shrug, "Cost me some pearls though."

She looked at the bag that dangled from his belt, the one she'd given him to keep his pearls in. The contents had significantly lessoned. "You didn't over-pay this smith, did you?"

"I doubt it." Link extended his hand to get his tool back, and gratefully clipped it on his belt. "I love this thing."

"Well, I won't pretend to know how it works, but I'm glad for you that it does."

"Thank you. Do you want a bodyguard?"

"What?"

Link's expression turned a little grim as he explained, "I think you're in danger. That storm wasn't natural."

Sheik swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. The one thing she'd avoided addressing by being busy, and he just had to spit it out, didn't he.

"I know how to fight… and, I still want to work for you." Link sheepishly professed, adding a little dryly, "I do owe you my life."

"Well…"

"I won't be suspected?" he added slyly, tapping his blindfold.

"How in gods' name do you manage to get your point across in so few words?" Sheik sighed in exasperation, although a smile twitched her lips. "I'd be extremely grateful, honestly, but… we're leaving for the capital soon. That means away from the sea."

Link froze. He took a shuddering breath and chewed the inside of his mouth before sighing, "Oh."

"Link, I'm sure-"

"No. I want to come with you."

She simply couldn't refuse the determined clench of his fists, nor the line the cut between his brows. She thanked him, and told him that they were heading inland in a few days, and he should get his things ready.

Link thanked her in turn, and swinging and tapping his tool, walked perfectly out of the storage.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Of course the reaction he got from his friends wasn't the good kind.

"You're _joking_! What, why, what, _how_ could you do this? You've barely survived as it is and now you're going _inland_? That's completely absurd!"

"I can manage Navi," Link insisted, "Besides, I've already wasted a month."

"But-"

"Oh, let him go," Midna clipped, "Better yet, it'll give us time to enjoy the sea without this bugger ruining it with human activities."

"Thank you." Link muttered dryly.

"But, but, but, but…"

"He'll be fine. He showed us his version of whale-song, and it seems to work great. He's walking like a human, and now that he's close to Sheik he can work his magic on her and she'll work out his secret and all will be well!"

"_Not_ a con-artist." Link reminded, sighing.

Navi whimpered and huddled her little legs and claws against herself, a shell of worry and sadness. Link picked her up and stroked her back till she purred, and he kissed her for good measure. "Thank you for looking after me for so long. Midna too. But I have to do this, you know that right?"

Navi sighed, and nodded. "But we are going to spend this night by the beach together. Deal?"

Link nodded, and smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>So yeah, that's it for now. In the next chapter he'll get to know the court, and its problems, and yeah. I think you guys'll like it. <strong>

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: Is the 22nd the one that's passed, or the one that's about to come up? Either way, I hope the surgery goes well. Thank you so much for your compliments, and I hope you liked this chapter too.**

_**Farli30519**_**: Sorry nothing happened much! But I promise I'll give a more exciting chapter next. :P**

_**Lady Kurina:**_** And this is his CLUUUUUEEE_!_ XD And I know the suspicion wasn't too huge in this chapter, but in the next chapter he's gonna have SUCH a hard time. **

_**goldenrhino**_**:**** Yeah, it really did take a ridiculously long time to update, but this time was quick, so, yay? Hopefully I explained the whale-song thing enough to get an idea. **

_**arrowriver:**_** Eh, it's okay, brains are meant to be turned to mush, and then frozen back. Like zombies. Or reverse phoenixes. Anyway, I'm glad you liked that touch of ignorance; trust me, you'll be seeing _plenty _of that from now on. :D**

_**CatsGotTongue:**_** I like this version of suspicion because it's not as open, I have got to say. Sheik in Once Upo a Fairytale was _blatantly_ different, especially physically, so there was a huge amoutn of persecution going on but this Link's persecution and suspicion will be more subtle, so I'm looking forward to writing about that. **

**Anyway, that's it for now, so I hope I'll be able to write and post up the next chapter as soon as I can! See you again, guys!**

**Yours Truly,  
>S.S.<strong>


	6. Learning

**Turns out I hadn't updated this is what, almost four years? Wow. Just, wow. **

**And there was a chapter, all written out, just waiting to be posted for at least two. Hmmm...**

**So here it is, apologies for the delay, but I do warn you: this IS on Hiatus, so I generally doubt that there'll be many updates after this, if at all. **

**Sorry folks!**

**BUT THANK YOU FOR YOU SUPPORT ANYWAY.**

**Enjoy!**

_**Next chapter**_

The ride to the capital was hell.

The way the carriage juddered and jittered and rumbled and clattered was beyond what Link's body could take. It made his spine feel like jelly, it ground the fibres of his skull to agony and his stomach rebel like peasants in a civil war. He tried staying in the carriage, he really did, but the mode of transport was so different from home (which was smooth and fast and empowering while this was slow, lumbering and cumbersome) his very existence seemed to reject it. And he refused to experience that awful, disgusting, human thing he did before collapsing in the infirmary. So he walked, clinging to the side of the carriage for guidance.

It was more like jogging but it was exercise he revelled in, and it helped with getting to know his surroundings. The clump of the shoes against the crusted ground, the strange rustling the surrounding vegetation made. The creatures, horses, didn't like his new tool. It hurt their ears. The wind was surprisingly comforting, in the empty silence without the sound of the ocean. It reminded him of the tides. But by gods his body felt heavy. He was tiring like he hadn't done in years upon years, but at least this would be good practice; he'd spent most of his time with the smith sitting down.

Another thing that he'd begun to get used to was the noise. It was sharper above the water, digging into the very core of his ears. There were no subtle sounds, like the swish of tails, the grumble of gyorgs, the silent roar of fish traveling in the biggest schools. No chuckling of dolphins, nor the echo of the mythical windfish's dreams. Everything here was like a solid mallet, no matter how small the sound was. There was art in it, Link supposed, as they stopped for a break and he listened to the chirping birds and the sighing trees, not to mention Wolf's constant barking. Now that was like a wall of sound. How he managed to produce it Link would never know.

"How are you?" Sheik's voice asked him, her body settling next to him, perching haphazardly onto his boulder. Link shifted his weight so she could sit more comfortably, tapping his tool against the rock. He detected the other carriages (abominations in his mind) and the horses and oxen that pulled them. They were being fed, and the men and women were also having a quick meal. Link was offered a piece of jerky, but he quietly declined with a smile. Sheik chewed next to him, and as Link kept tapping the tool, noting the movement of men and women, he noticed that they slightly slowed when they got closer to Sheik, but quickened when they got a little further away. As if they were… watching. Listening in.

Link smiled. "They don't like me."

He felt her shrug. "You could put it that way."

"They think I'm strange."

"I think you're strange."

"You still like me." Then he paused, noting how presumptuous that was. "I think."

That made her laugh, which let him relax a bit.

"I'm _interested_ in you, I admit that," she replied cheerily, "You're a complete anomaly. A puzzle, if you will, in this world that follows certain rules that I've learnt to accept and understand. You follow none of said rules."

"Like what?"

"You act like you can see when you're blind."

"I sense. Seeing is exaggerating."

"You exaggerate well, then."

He snorted. He continued tapping, flexing muscles in his legs so they wouldn't stiffen, ready to leave when the others were.

"Do you need to tap that thing to see?"

"Sense," he corrected, "And yes."

"But you were just swinging it when you walk."

"The air makes the metal move." He explained, tracing the empty space between the two blades, "Metal moves, sound comes out."

"I don't hear anything."

Link grinned. "Watch this."

He gave the thing a swing and the air gave a silent shriek of agony, making Wolf bound over like a maddened creature. Unseen by Link, Sheik's jaw dropped. She remembered to jump off the boulder to catch the bullet of a dog, trying to calm him down when he expected a treat or a game or a good long run. When she finally subdued him she huffed, and stared at Link. "Don't tell me it's like a dog-whistle. That, that flute that makes no sound when I blow it, but, Wolf always comes when I use it. Is it like that? Don't tell me it's like that."

"I think it is."

There was a pause, until her teasing voice crowed: "You have the hearing of a _dog_."

"Thanks." Link muttered, somehow aware that that was an insult.

He kept still as Sheik calmed her dog down, having learnt that if he pretended to be a statue he would be left alone. She made strange noises when she was dealing with the creature, babying it, almost belittling it. He supposed there was no harm done if the dog enjoyed it, but somehow he could never understand the idea of not treating a companion as an equal.

So, human need for dominance over other creatures wasn't so much a myth…?

"So, does this new tool of yours have a name?"

"Hm?"

"Well, it's not exactly a tuner or a sword or a knife, is it? Actually, I just thought of a brilliantly pretentious name. Gods, thinking about it makes me want to roll my eyes, actually."

Well. Link had been calling it thing and tool since he'd gotten it, and he had to admit it was getting a little old. "Let's hear it."

"Windwaker. Just one word. Windwaker."

"Huh." He pondered on it for a bit, and as she was about to laugh it off and call herself stupid, he handed her the tool with a smile. "Let's make it official, Princess."

She laughed, and having received the tool and cleared her throat she proclaimed, "I dub this exquisite item the Windwaker, and I name it yours and yours only, for in my eyes there is no finer owner than thyself."

"Yay."

"You're such a fruit." She chuckled dryly, standing up. "I'm going to go see what needs to be done before we go; I hope you get enough rest before we leave."

"I'll have enough." He assured her, tapping the newly named Windwaker against his seat. Even without it, he could feel the cold regard that surrounded him sink to icy levels.

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

It took them a week of travel to get to their destination and Sheik was exhausted. Then she wondered how tired Link must be, having walked along the carriage most of the way. Admittedly, he really had looked horrendous each time he'd been forced to rest inside the carriage as it moved, and his utter stubbornness in refusing to get on the vehicle was borderline admirable, if highly foolish.

Ah, speaking of foolish…

"Are you serious, my Lady?" Auru's voice rang deep and booming as Sheik collapsed onto her modest thrown with a heaving sigh. His face was redder than usual, making his beard look snowier than ever. "Or have you gone _mad_?"

"Well clearly you think I'm the latter, so I'll happily deny it."

"What possessed you to make such a decision?" Impa implored, disbelief and worry written all over her face, "I just cannot believe you've given one of the most important duties to a blind stranger."

"A blind stranger," Sheik warned, "Who I consider a friend and an excellent asset."

"Does it not worry you that he acts as if he can see?" Shad sighed, rubbing his temples as if holding back a headache. "For all we know he's an utter fraud."

"I don't see how this matters," Sheik told them frankly, leaning back into the glorified chair, "He wanted to protect me, so I'm letting him. Is that so bad? Really?"

"There were many candidates looking forward to that duty, my Lady," Impa gritted out, "Most of them more qualified than that man you've taken under your wing."

"Let them protect me as well, then. Look, Link has nowhere to go. If he's not working, he's willing to pay for his stay. I find that noble, not to mention honest and unassuming. I find no real reason for him to hurt me, so I thought it'd be sensible to keep him close by."

"But Lady-"

"And have you noticed," Sheik drawled, "That ever since that storm, ever since I've been named Sheik, you've all been very distant? Either that or you've been treating me like a dumb, delicate little Princess. Look at you! Either telling me what to do or admonishing what I do. Do you know how tiring it gets after a month of that constant _nagging_?"

They all looked horrified at her audacity.

"I need a friend who who'll talk to me and share jokes as well as impart advice. You used to be those friends, but now that you're too _professional_ to have fun with me, I'll have Link cover those duties. Now," she continued, stonily, "If you're so concerned about my protection, shall we go see these candidates you speak of? And how are we to judge their skills? Where are they now, exactly?"

They took a while to recover, and it was Impa that bowed and spoke first, "They are waiting in the training grounds, preparing to display their skills."

"Thank you. Let's go, shall we?"

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

The hostility was a lot worse here.

Link tapped the windwaker against the doorframe and that simple ting caught everyone's attention. They stopped their training, and their stances shifted. Link tapped the windwaker again, to confirm that yes, they were staring at him, and yes, he was in trouble.

"Hello."

Silence. Link took in a deep breath, exhaled, and cautiously stepped into the room. It was like being surrounded by the Zora again. Only this time he had even less of a means to fight back.

"Is this the training grounds?"

"It is, blind man. Why?"

Link shrugged. "I want to train."

There were snorts and snide chuckles all round. "You must be the one the Lady's taken in."

Link shrugged again, more sheepishly. "She's kind."

"You fancy yourself her protector, then?"

"I want to."

"And so do we." There was a grumble of approval for the man who'd been talking to Link, and he stepped forward, not threateningly, perhaps, but definitely with force. "We take this seriously. We've been training for years for this honour and we're not about to let some blind man put our Lady in danger. Especially after that storm."

"No offense to you being blind," one of the soldiers added, making Link laugh.

"Thanks. None taken."

"We'd appreciate it if you'd let this nonsense go. If you wish to stay as a servant or a helper, the staff—and us—will welcome you into this court with open arms. What say you?"

"I want to stay close to Sheik." Link grinned at the silence he earned, cocking his head to the side. "That privilege lies with her protectors."

"By the gods, man!" one of the men snapped, "You're blind! I doubt you could protect _yourself_ from one of us, much less the Lady!"

"Care to bet?"

There was a pause, and then one of the soldiers at the back laughed. "You jest."

"I don't." Another pause. Link tapped his Windwaker against an object and nodded. "Who am I to go against?"

There was a small discussion, and one of them moved forward, weapon in hand. Link was given a wooden sword, and once he thanked them and the area was cleared, the fight was on.

He hadn't ever realised how slow humans really were. Sure, he'd observed their movements in the water and how generally poor swimmers they were, but on ground, he'd thought that they would be in their element, superior to him in battle.

He didn't have to know their styles of movement; the mechanics of the hands (with a notable lack of webs) was similar between those of the Sheikah and the Hylian, so disarming them was simple enough. All he had to do was hear them coming, and react. It was that easy. Too easy.

After a few simple jousts Link sighed. "Really?"

The designated soldier moved faster; they had underestimated him, or were going easy on him and he would have none of that. Link smiled and flicked the Windwaker and it sung, and he moved, experimenting with the way the ground shifted under his feet, how gravity centred him constantly, how the way he moved affected the two new concepts in his life. Gods this was interesting, and refreshing and wonderful. He couldn't help but laugh as more soldiers joined in, trying to trip him, disarm him of his baton, but he found himself dodging them all, using every body-part available to him, getting to know it better in the most quickest and effective method imaginable.

He was fighting, and loving it.

"What is going on here!?"

Link yelped and collapsed from the odd handstand he'd flown into and fell awkwardly on someone's plated shoulder. The Windwaker escaped his grasp and he cried out, cutting his hand on its razor-sharp edge in a fumbling effort to keep hold of it. It fell to the grass, without a sound.

The soldiers were making excuses as he finally rolled off the groaning man, patting the grass around him carefully as he crawled over the ground, looking for the thing. He thought he heard someone step on it as the muffled weapon whined. Then it whispered and the sound rose, and Link knew someone had picked it up.

"Thank you," he grunted, picking himself up, "That's mine."

"You're not blind, are you." The soldier's voice was new. He was waving the Windwaker around and Link was finding it difficult to sense it. It was like listening to a whale that was singing right next to your ear, not letting you listen to the vibrations bouncing back. He could vaguely hear where the wand was being waved, but it was ridiculously hard to see whether anything was blocking his path to get at it.

"I'm blind." Link muttered with confirmation, extending his hand, "Without that."

"Oh? Interesting." The wand shrieked and Link barely reacted in time, retracting his hand as fast as an eel to avoid being cut by his own tool. "You seemed to see that."

"I heard it. Give it back."

"I suggest you do as he says, sir," Sheik's voice was irritated and tired. "Or I myself will pluck it from your grasp."

There was a sheepish murmur as Link received his baton and he sighed as he gave it a few flicks, re-imagining the sound-waves into a scenario in his mind. "Thank you. It was a fun match."

"You really are an anomaly, Link," Sheik chuckled, patting his shoulder, "You flee like nothing I've seen before."

The Hylian scowled. "I was fighting."

"Yet you didn't land a single blow." Sheik teased, as the sounds of wooden blades and shields clashing began to pick up around them. "You would make an interesting companion, for sure."

"Oh?" A hopeful smile pulled at his face, despite himself.

"A poor protector, maybe, but an excellent companion. If you want that honour you will have to train with these men." He sensed her moving an arm, taking in the grounds full of fighting men, and Link nodded in response.

"Done."

"What say you, captain?"

This voice was new, gruff, and a little awed. "I would say he would be an interesting one to train."

"I can react quickly." Link offered, flicking his Windwaker, "I can be her shield."

"Shield? Shield… hmm…" The Captain's low rumble of a voice hummed like an earthquake as he contemplated it, and then it abruptly stopped. "I agree. I may train you with that in mind."

Sheik sounded confused. "Pardon?"

"Now young man, before I start training you in this suicidal idea of yours, let's clarify what you mean."

Link flicked the Windwaker, grinning, seeing a huge bulk of a man before him, heavy with muscles, encased in armour. He exuded reliability. "I take whatever tries to get her."

"Your definition of 'whatever'?"

"All weapons."

"Good."

"_What_?" Sheik cried out, horror in her voice, "You mean like a _human _shield? Am I the only one that finds that a little barbaric?"

"I _am_ blind." Link pointed out, shrugging, "I can't initiate fights."

"He is right, my lady." He turned, bowing to the petite woman, "I will personally pick the best men here, under you and your advisor's supervision, to be the six that would protect you, and another three to take their place in the instance that the men are injured. They will be your swords, if someone would attack you. But a sword is nothing without a shield."

"But-"

"If an assassin sees your protectors, and shoots from a building they have not noticed, you will need a shield. He is the best man in this whole training field."

"Expendable, too," Link chuckled, earning a decent punch from the Princess. "Ow!"

"My Lady," the guard hastily added as Link rubbed his arm, "This man would be the best because he would _survive_ being your shield. We can provide him the best armour against arrows, most of which would be manoeuvrable, given his fighting style."

"And what about a weapon for him too? Or is he to be a defenceless meat-shield?"

"Something small, thin, easily concealable." Judging by his voice he was probably thinking about it as he went. Link couldn't help but be amused. "Would that please you, my Lady?"

Link heard her huff, shuffle, sigh, and concede, "It seems like a doable arrangement. I don't like the idea of a human meat-shield, but I suppose it's for the best. Thank you, Captain."

"Feel free to gander your way through, your Highness," The Captain waved an arm the size of trees and Sheik bid them farewell.

Link bowed to the Captain and Introduced himself, and the Captain replied in turn, "I'm Darbus. Now I don't like you shaming my men like that, but you're quicker than a sparrow and nimbler than a snake. As long as you don't act like either of them we'll get along fine, you and I."

"Um… what…?"

"A coward and a sneak. Just don't be those."

"Ah. Right. I understand."

"You got yourself cut, then, didn't you, in that match. Get yourself patched up with this," Link was given a roll of bandages which he gratefully used immediately to staunch the blood from his palm, "and I'll see you in a few minutes. I need to supervise their choices of my men."

"Why?" Link had caught the suspicion in Darbus's tone.

"They may choose by family rather than ability. I doubt the Lady would do that, but some of her advisors can be pushy. Stay here. Stay out of trouble. And from now on, if you bleed, keep it out of sight."

More nervously, this time. "…Why?"

"Your blood's black, boy. Black as squid's ink."

^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v

Link could only assume that Vaati wanted him very, very dead if he'd even messed with the colour of his _blood_. By Gods. Black blood? It screamed _cursed_ like nothing else.

He was safe in his room, which was still the infirmary, considering he still hadn't earned a proper place in the castle and he knew the area well anyway.

But he'd gotten the job, which was one step closer to his goal. Now he just had to avoid getting hated by so many of the Sheikah, and maybe earn their trust, or at the very least hint Sheik on who he was. It was amazing how careful he had to be; human emotion was _volatile_ compared to that of his people. Sometimes the frustration was a physical force eating him alive. And that was just _frustration_, for Three's sake, he didn't want to think how being _angry_ would be like…

He shuddered.

He promised himself that he would not, under any circumstances, be angry. That would be suicide. It would consume him like fire, he just _knew_. As a Hylian, he'd done stupidly rash things because he'd become emotionally involved. As a _Sheikah_…

He shuddered again.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o**

**Aaaand, yeah. That's it. **

**Would be awesome if you guys left a review?**

**Thanks for reading!**

**S.S.**


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